Little Tiny (7)
by Deliverer
Summary: Things are going well between Hans and Elsa, but adjusting to life in Arendelle is a challenge for Hans. Trust is hard won, and while the people mostly like him, the servants are another matter. He's on high alert. Kristoff and Anna are trying for a baby, but when things go wrong, Hans finds himself in the spotlight in only bad ways. If he can't win them over, this ends badly.
1. A Party in England

**Angel in the Snow, Demon in the Shadows 7: Little Tiny**

(A/N: And I'm back with another. Haven't written this story all the way through, so I'm kind of hoping I haven't trapped myself for later, but really wanted to start posting again. Some familiar faces return here. This chapter is based on Hans Christian Andersen and Charles Dickens' first meeting, as well as mentioning one of Andersen's love interests, Louise Collin. Unsure whether she was the sister of Edvard Collin in real life or not, but eh. Also, the timelines for the two little boys you'll read about later in this chapter are a bit messed up, Andersen would have been way older by the time his path could have crossed with either of them, but still. To be fair the timeline for Harald is a bit messed up too. He was _way_ younger than Andersen. We're talking likely about 35 years. As always, enjoy.)

A Party in England

 _Born of cold and winter air and mountain rain combining,_

 _This icy force both foul and fair has a frozen heart worth mining._

 _So cut through the heart cold and clear, strike for love and strike for fear,_

 _See the beauty sharp and shear, split the ice apart, and break the frozen heart!_

 _Hup ho, watch your step, let it go. Hup ho, watch your step, let it go._

Quickly Hans an Elsa made their way through the crowds, hurrying to catch a train. Well, Hans was catching it. Elsa was just there to see him off. "How did I get so late?!" Hans demanded, checking his pocket watch again in disbelief.

"I believe that was my fault," Elsa replied, smirking slyly.

"It was, wasn't it?" Hans replied, smirking himself. He remembered _very_ well just why that was.

"Do you regret it? "she questioned with a faux pout.

"What are you kidding me?" Hans asked. He was going to remember _that_ good morning for a _long_ time to come. The train whistle blew loudly. "Oh dammit!" he exclaimed, pouring on the speak. "Make way, move it!" he shouted, roughly pushing through the crowds as Elsa, laughing, followed.

 _Beautiful, powerful, dangerous, cold, ice has a magic can't be controlled,_

 _Stronger than one, stronger than ten, stronger than a hundred men, hey!_

 _Born of cold and winter air and mountain rain combining,_

 _This icy force both foul and fair has a frozen heart worth mining._

 _Cut through the heart old and clear, strike for love and strike for fear,_

 _There's beauty and there's danger here, split the ice apart, beware the frozen heart._

The train was about to pull away when they got there. Hans cursed under his breath. "Prince Hans, language. You're a king consort now," she teased.

He smiled. "That I am," the prince replied, racing onto the platform and towards the train.

"Did you remember everything?" Elsa asked.

"God I hope so," Hans replied. But hey, it wasn't like they were poor. If he'd missed anything, he could buy it.

"Your manuscripts and journal?" she pressed

"First things I packed, along with my weapons, writing stuff, and notes. Only things I _can't_ buy. Well, the manuscripts, journals, and notes, at least," he answered.

"Be careful," she worriedly said as he got onto the train just as it was starting off. She walked alongside it, handing him his bag.

"I always am. Don't worry, I can keep a low profile," he said, taking it as she began to jog alongside.

"What, no kiss?" she asked as the train neared the end of the platform.

He bent down quickly, catching her lips. They reached the end of the platform, the train breaking their kiss for them. "I love you!" he called to her.

"I love you too!" she called.

"I'll write when I get there!" he said.

"You'd better!" she replied. "Goodbye!"

"Farewell, my lady love!" he called back.

"Show off!" she shouted. As he blew her a kiss, she giggled gently and waved one last time with a grin. He entered the box, and she watched until the train was out of sight. Elsa sighed, ruefully shaking her head with a wistful smile. She hated when he left. Usually because when he left it was to take to the seas and either deal with pirates or play bodyguard for a merchant vessel. The thing was, the ocean was so unpredictable that a pleasure trip in a harbor could become the last one you ever took just like that. At least he wasn't going on a very dangerous ocean voyage this time. When he'd told her that he was to go to England, she had made him promise to take the train through Germany so that the trip by water would be minimal. Why was he going to England? He'd been invited to a party hosted by the Countess of Blessington, that was why. It was quite the social conquest, Elsa had to admit. The woman's gatherings were considered pretty high-prestige. She tended to invite intellectuals to her parties, where they could all meet. She'd apparently read some of Hans Christian Andersen's works and had determined his presence at her gathering was a must. As long as the Countess didn't want her husband for any other reason, it was all good.

Elsa's smile fell. She would miss him… And worry about the trouble he might get into out there. He wasn't exactly universally loved. She often heard even some of her own people murmur against him. That he'd taken on less than popular responsibilities—i.e. playing judge for the cases she didn't have the stomach to handle, among other less-than-popular tasks such as calling for taxes and strategizing for potential battles—didn't help his case much either. She shook her head hopelessly. His biggest peeve about her, as she'd come to learn in the short time they'd been married, was that she was too soft and lenient with her subjects, an enabler more than anything. They'd gotten into arguments about it more than once before she'd finally relented and let him take over judging crimes where the punishments were… not exactly something she relished. But he'd made a point, she had to admit. The people had been acting out against one another more and more roughly, as of late. When she'd handed the duties of judgement over to _Hans_ , crime had dropped by more than half. The man did what he said, she'd give him that. And he wasn't afraid to heavy-hand those who got disrespectful towards the crown, though at times even the term 'disrespectful' was understating it.

She sighed. Sometimes she thought he was a little too harsh. That was _her_ biggest peeve with him. He was hard on her subjects, very, _very_ hard on them, but her enabling and his enforcing kind of balanced one another out, and fortunately, he seemed to listen to her more often than not. After all, ultimately, she was the reigning monarch. She turned to walk back to her palace and tend to her Kingdom. He would be gone a couple of weeks probably, she knew. England wasn't exactly close. According to the invitation the Countess had sent, her latest gathering would be focused on guests who were authors and artists and musicians, or something like that. She should have paid more attention. He'd been so very enthusiastic about it. She'd just had… other things on her mind. Namely a very negative experience with some maids who had decided to gossip about her and her husband. The gossip had been less than kind to him, and less than fair. She still seethed to remember it. She'd had half a mind to fire them all. She probably should have, but she didn't. It would have invited questions from her husband she didn't ever want to answer, though maybe she was disillusioning herself in believing Hans didn't hear and know. Hans was a heck of a spy. With his ear to the ground and a way about him that made you let down your guard, information was sure to find its way to him that wasn't meant to. She frowned as she remembered what the maids had said…

 _"_ _So, what do_ _ **you**_ _think of the Queen's consort, girls?" one asked._

 _"_ _He's the traitor prince from the Southern Isles. I don't trust him. In fact, I wonder at the reason Queen Elsa chose him," another answered._

 _"_ _Maybe she likes bad boys," a third said._

 _"_ _The queen is more practical than that. Maybe it's something more sinister," a fourth stated._

 _"_ _What do you mean?" the second asked._

 _"_ _I heard tale that the young man took hold of her and forced himself on her. That he threatened her into a marriage by telling her that her sister would be next if she refused to take him as her husband," the fourth answered._

 _"_ _How awful!" the third girl exclaimed. "Does he abuse her, do you think? Strike her? Beat her?"_

 _"_ _If he does, she hides the bruises and scratches better than most anyone," the first said._

 _"_ _Queen Elsa is no foolish woman who would willingly choose a man that hits her," the second stated. "He must have forced himself on her. Why else would she have given herself to that loathsome monster?"_

 _"_ _Maybe because she wanted to?!" Kristoff had suddenly shot from down the hall; and if he hadn't done so right at that moment,_ _ **she**_ _would have. She was glad he'd been listening too. "You really think the queen, with all her power, would have just let him take her without fighting back? Are you nuts?"_

 _"_ _Doesn't he have powers that check hers?" the first questioned. The Queen had learned from the mistake of hiding her own powers and had made sure they'd all known right away that her husband had certain abilities too._

 _"_ _He would have been impaled_ _ **long**_ _before he got a chance to use them," Kristoff said in outrage. "The king-consort did_ _ **not**_ _rape the queen, and he_ _ **does**_ _not beat her. How dare you spread stuff like that around? Show the poor guy a little respect! He's done nothing but treat you all well since he's been here. Heck, he's even advocated for you all! He isn't the monster you think he is. I mean, maybe once he was, but not anymore!"_

 _"_ _Monsters don't change!" the fourth maid argued._

 _"_ _Yes, they do. I witnessed it. I've witnessed it for more than him too! Now why don't you stick to your jobs and stop talking about Hans?" Kristoff demanded. Angered and offended by his interruption of their gossip, the maids sneered disgustedly at him and moved away while Elsa smirked in satisfaction, inwardly applauding her brother-in-law._

Elsa shook her head. She needed to stop stewing on this. Today it was all about her and Anna, and she wanted to enjoy their sister bonding time without ruining it by running mental scenarios where she _really_ talked some sense into those maids. Smiling, she focused on the trip back home.

Frozen

Anna and Elsa sat together curled up in the garden sipping the tea Abigail had taught to Elsa on the Southern Isles. It had quickly become one of their favorites. "Here's hoping he has fun there," Anna said when Elsa finished telling her about the party.

"Are you kidding? The man will be in his element," Elsa replied.

"Not worried about him having a little fling with a pretty author or artist or musician or exotic dancer?" Anna teased.

Elsa smirked into her cup, giving no answer. She knew full well her husband had eyes only for her. Anyone who could _see_ knew it. Well, there was that time a belly dancer had come through. Inwardly she frowned at that memory. Of course, _every_ man's eye had been on the woman. Most had been ogling, but Hans had been remarkably restrained. He actually had seemed to prefer the art of the dance to the sight of the scantily clad woman, so she'd forgiven him fairly quickly for that one. Kristoff had gotten an earful from Anna, though. Poor man. Elsa put the tea down again. "So… how goes the attempted pregnancy?"

Anna's smile fell. "Not great. Despite how long me and Kristoff have been trying, I still haven't gotten pregnant yet!" she said.

"Long? Anna, it's only been half a year," Elsa replied. Actually, it had probably been a little more, but still!

"I know," Anna said, frustratedly playing with her braids. "It's just… I really want this, Elsa!"

"I know, sis," Elsa replied, gently taking her sibling's hands in hers with a smile. "It'll only be a matter of time, don't worry. If you really want something so badly, it's bound to happen."

"Yeah. I hope so," Anna said, smiling weakly. She lit up a little more. "So, what about you? What are _your_ prospects for starting a family?"

Elsa immediately blushed, flustered at the question. "Wh-what? Me? N-no, no, I haven't even been _thinking_ about it! Hans and I haven't discussed the matter at all. I mean, it seems a bit tasteless for us to do something like that so soon after the deaths of so many of his brothers' wives and children, doesn't it?"

"Ooh, yeah. Now that you put it like that," Anna replied, cringing. "I feel so bad for them." Elsa nodded ruefully. There was a moment of solemnity between them, but in a little while they were back to laughing and talking again.

Frozen

The trip was long and tedious, days on a train, hours or maybe a day or so—he'd fallen asleep so wasn't sure—at sea, then hours more on another train, but finally said train pulled up to the final station. Hans, grimacing, all too eagerly moved the snoring man he'd been sitting next to off his shoulder, dryly asking himself why he hadn't sprung for a box car that wasn't coach. Quickly he disembarked. "Hans!" a voice called. He looked over and hardly had time to register who it was before someone tackled him, enveloping him a tight hug and kissing his cheek.

"Harald, can't breathe!" Hans gasped out. Wow the kid had a grip. Harald laughed, drawing back and grinning at his friend.

"I'm sorry, Hans. I just… I'm still trying to register you're really here!" Harald replied. His expression became solemn and pained. "When we heard about Cumberland…"

"Let's… not talk about that. Please," Hans said.

"I know. I'm sorry. I can't even imagine what happened to you there. I don't think I want to," Harald replied.

"No. You don't," Hans answered, quickly closing off from the topic. Hmm, he hadn't spoken to his friends since letting them know he was still alive, free again, and engaged to Elsa, he noted to himself. He cringed slightly guiltily. He'd seen them at the wedding, but he hadn't had a chance to find them which had been a bit of a disappointment, but he kind of hadn't really been thinking about disappointments right then. He'd been too busy trying to process that it was real and not some dream. That aside, he really needed to improve his correspondence, he decided. He could only imagine what they were going through those two years he'd been a prisoner. "So how have you been?"

"Still caught in that love triangle," Harald ruefully replied, shaking his head. "They're both such great girls! Having to pick? Enough said."

"Marry them both," another voice deadpanned. They turned and Hans smirked.

"Duke Alexander," he greeted.

"You know you're allowed to call me Carl, right?" Carl Alexander questioned.

"Doesn't sound noble enough," Hans replied.

"You suck up," Carl replied, smirking. He looked his friend up and down and a more solemn and serious look came into his eyes. Suddenly he hugged him closely. Hans blinked, surprised—Carl wasn't generally one for physical expressions of affection—then returned the hug. Duke Alexander drew back. "I'm so sorry… About Cumberland and its ruler. Just… I'm glad you seem to be alright and coping."

"Yeah…" Hans answered quietly. He'd still give up his life in a heartbeat if it meant Aaron and his father lived again, though. Dammit, he couldn't start thinking about that boy now. The last thing he wanted to do was have an emotional meltdown in front of his friends in public. He'd worked to block it off. He didn't need it all dragged back up again… But Aaron… He swallowed, closing his eyes and willing back the feeling of pain. He opened them again, putting on a smile. He should focus on enjoying the company of his friends right now. It would make it easier.

Carl turned around, frowning. "Edvard, hurry up!"

"You could help me with the bags you know, Carl!" Edvard called angrily, shuffling out of the crowd and plopping them down. Carl rolled his eyes.

"Lost a bet, Edvard?" Hans asked.

"Let's not talk about it," Edvard deadpanned. Hans chuckled. Edvard smiled at him then became serious again. "For a while I never thought I'd hear your voice or your laugh again," he said, hugging the prince with an arm and resting his head against his shoulder.

"Can we please drop the topic of Cumberland? Please?" Hans begged. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm touched you were all so concerned, just… Just things and events happened there I can't face right now. Or preferably ever."

"We know, Hans," Harald said, lightly squeezing his friend's shoulder. "You're here to have fun, not have bad memories dragged up. You'll love it! There are so many big names gathered there. I'm sure you'll recognize a good deal of them."

"I've heard Charles Dickens will be in attendance," Edvard said.

"What? No way! Dickens? I _love_ his work!" Hans exclaimed, lighting up gleefully.

"Really Hans, don't start fawning like a fanboy now," Carl teased. "I happen to know he's quite a fan of yours as well, so hopefully you two will be on relatively equal footing if you meet, instead of falling all over one another."

"Are you serious? He knows my work?" Hans asked.

"You'll find all this out on your own. I'm not spoiling _everything_ for you," Carl replied.

"You take delight in tormenting me, don't you?" Hans asked, frowning at him.

"It's so much better to find it out for yourself, Hans!" Edvard said. "Then you won't weird the poor man out by knowing things about him that he probably can't even remember letting slip. Anyway, you'll be sharing a room with Harald. He insisted. Carl and I are sharing the one next to you."

"Behave you two," Carl said.

"Don't even go there," Hans deadpanned, frowning at him unimpressed. Harald smirked mischievously. "Will you be dancing at all, Harald?" the prince asked his friend.

"Actually, yes," Harald replied. "A ballet is happening in town that I'm part of."

"No doubt you're the hero of the story?" Edvard asked.

"Who else?" Harald boasted.

"You've gotten cockier, boy," Carl noted. "And more narcissistic." Of course, if anyone had a right to be, it was probably him. Anyone with eyes to see had to admit the boy was nothing short of beautiful, in a rugged way. Left plain handsome in the dust probably around puberty.

"If you have the talent to flaunt and all that," Harald replied proudly. "Now, let's get to the hotel, shall we?"

"Let's," Edvard agreed.

Frozen

The four men stood in the crowd, looking over all the faces eagerly. Sure enough, Hans recognized a good number of them. "It's Lord Alfred Tennyson," Hans noted. "He's my brother's friend, Lars's. Well, acquaintance at least. And is that Edgar Allen Poe? I actually took inspiration from his works when styling and formatting _The Shadow_. The man is a morbid sap, if there was ever one."

"There are quite a few children here," Carl noted.

"No doubt brought here by their parents to try and meet their favorite authors," Edvard answered. "Unfortunately, none of them know for certain what _you_ look like, Hans. Otherwise, you'd be getting swarmed. You're certainly one to draw peoples' eyes."

"Flirting or flattery, Edvard?" Hans replied with a teasing smirk.

Edvard started, flushing. "Flattery!" he exclaimed, shocked at the question. Had it really come across like that? He went over the remark again. Wow, it had. Oops. Hans laughed.

"You know, some people are spreading rumors that your story _The Snowman_ was written to spite Edvard for not returning your love for him," Harald teased.

"Wait, what?" Hans asked. "How even?!" He rifled through his manuscripts and pulled out _The Snowman_ , looking it over. "There's nothing in here that implies _anything_ like that!

"Here, here!" Edvard agreed, put out by this news.

"Actually, if you assume the Snowman is Edvard…" Carl began.

"It was meant to be based on Olaf!" Hans insisted. "The little guy wanted me to write a story about him, so I did!"

"I'm just saying, Hans," Carl replied. "If people assume the snowman is symbolic of Edvard, then odds are you're symbolic of the dog and the stove is symbolic of the woman Edvard would choose over you.

Hans frowned, skimming the story. "Oh, I see it now," he remarked. Wow, it _could_ be taken as a slight. If you read a whole lot into it, that was.

"Huh. Look at that," Edvard replied. "Well, _you_ wanted me to keep the letter."

"Why not? Let them believe what they will about me," Hans said, shrugging. He wasn't going to get overly offended about it. A little peeved, maybe, but he'd known full well stuff like this would start to spread after he'd told Edvard to keep the letter. His popularity was on the rise, so it wasn't surprising he was suddenly under more public scrutiny.

Frozen

"Excuse me," a voice said.

Hans turned curiously and saw two boys standing there, looking up at him in wonder. "Oh. Hello there, little ones," he greeted, kneeling down to their height. "Is there something you want?"

"Are you Hans Christian Andersen?" the older boy, the one who had spoken, asked. The other was sucking his thumb, looking curious.

"I am," Hans replied, tilting his head curiously.

"Really? Wow! I love your stories! So does my friend. His name is Arthur Tolkien," the boy said, pointing at the littler boy.

"I like the story The Elfin Mound," the smaller boy said. "I love elves. I write stories about elves too!"

"Do you now? I'd very much like to see them," Hans said. The little boy's eyes bugged almost comically wide.

"I'll get them! Stay here," the boy insisted, hurrying off.

Hans chuckled amusedly. He turned back to the older boy. "And you are…?"

"Robert, sir. Robert Louis Stevenson," the boy answered.

"Oh? Oh! Oh wow, I haven't seen _you_ since you were a tiny thing," Hans said, lighting up a bit. "I remember you took quite a shine to my older brother Jürgen."

"I like pirates!" Robert declared.

Hans started, frowning. "How did you know he was a pirate? _We_ didn't even know," he said.

Robert shrugged. "I don't know. He saw a story I wrote about pirates and corrected some things about them. Then he told me that if I was writing stories about pirates, maybe it was better to exaggerate some things to make them seem better than what they really were. He says everybody likes ideas of hidden things, so maybe I should have something hidden, like a treasure, and a way to find it too," the child answered.

"That would be an interesting thing indeed," Hans answered. "I wish you luck with your stories. One day you might grow up to be a wonderful writer indeed." Just then little Arthur returned and held his story up to Hans, body shaking in excitement and nervousness. Hans took the papers and read them over. He started. "Oh wow. Arthur, these are amazing! I think I much prefer your take on the elves to mine." Given what he now had seen of elves, namely the elven king and his entourage, the child's rendition of them was probably more accurate too. "Did you know I met an elf once?"

Arthur's mouth dropped in awe. "That's silly! Elves don't exist," Robert said.

"Yes they do!" Arthur insisted. "They visit me sometimes, and when I'm big and have a son, I'm going to tell him all about them and tell him some stories and maybe he'll write about them even better than me!"

"They definitely exist," Hans said. "I talked to one. He and his army helped fight off an enemy of ours. He was very noble. He never told me a name. I only ever heard him addressed as Elfin King."

"I think Elven is the better word," Arthur stubbornly grumbled.

"You know what? I think it would make much more sense too," Hans replied. "Keep writing, little ones, both of you. I think you two have a lot of talent. One day you might be better than _me_."

"No," Arthur said, smiling.

"Your stories are the best! So are Charles Dickens' stories," Robert agreed, nodding seriously.

"I'm happy you think so," Hans replied, smiling at them. He personally didn't think they were all that good, or worth all the praise they seemed to be garnishing, but who was he to argue them? "Run along you two. Your parents must be getting worried. Robert, if you would like to ask Jürgen questions about pirates I'll see to it he writes you. And Arthur, if you have any questions about elves, be sure to ask me. Like I said, I've met them. My family has crossed paths with fae many times in the past."

"Yes sir," they both said together before scrambling off.

Hans chuckled amusedly and stood up, shaking his head. "You really have a way with children, Hans Christian Andersen," Harald said, smirking.

"I really don't," Hans replied.

"Are you kidding? They're drawn to you like moths to flame," Carl said, taking note of all the other children and their parents starting to notice the author prince.

"I wouldn't go _that_ far," Hans answered. He didn't get much more talking in, though. Soon enough he was caught up in answering questions from children and parents alike who had found him.

Frozen

Eventually the crowds thinned out again and Hans could get some room to breathe. He'd lost Carl, Edvard, and Harald in the crowd, but they'd probably find him soon enough. He drew a relieved breath, glad to be away from the onslaught that had suddenly fallen on him. "Hans Christian Andersen, I presume? Very few other authors I've heard of could draw a crowd of children and adults alike of that size," a voice said.

Hans started, looking over. His eyes widened in disbelief and he straightened up. "Charles Dickens?!" he exclaimed in shock.

"You know of me?" Dickens questioned, perking up slightly.

"Of course I do! You're a literary genius, and if critics haven't recognized that yet, they will. Do you have any idea how much inspiration I take from you?" Hans replied, beaming excitedly.

"Really? Because I happen to be taking inspiration from you too. Quite a bit of it," Charles stated, grinning and lighting up brightly as they walked out to the veranda to get some fresh air. To be noticed and spoken to in such a way by the man he had such admiration for was nothing short of amazing. To know Hans Christian Andersen was as much a fan of his as he was of him? That just was the icing on the cake.

"Me? Are you kidding? I'm not _that_ good," Hans replied.

"You're out of your head, man! You're every _bit_ that good," Charles answered, grinning widely. "Have you _read_ your own stories? All the ways they can be interpreted, all you put into them and express… Even adults fawn over them!"

"I'm sure a good number of adults fawn over yours too," Hans answered. Especially given Dickens seemed to lean towards an older audience.

"True," Charles admitted. "Your short stories and fairy tales are the best I've read since the brothers Grimm!"

"Wow, really? Being compared to _them_ isn't something I ever expected," Hans answered.

"I only wish you would write more novels," Dickens admitted. "I would devour them happily." He'd devoured the ones the man _had_ written, for sure, as few as they were.

"Thank you," Hans said, grinning. "I'm just worried a lot of the essence I capture in my short stories would be lost in a novel or novella, though I'm working on a novella called _The Ice Maiden_."

"I can't presume to know, of course, but I hardly think you'd lose too much of the essence you capture in your stories at all," Charles said.

"For now, I think I'll leave the novels to you," Hans replied. "I never get tired of them. You're probably the greatest novelist of our time."

"You've written plays too, haven't you? And poems, and travelogues. You're quite the prolific writer," Charles said.

"You can get a story from anything you touch," Hans replied, winking.

"If that isn't a policy for a writer to live by, I don't know what is," Dickens replied.

"I try," Hans answered, grinning.

"We should get together sometime, I think, and bounce ideas off one another," Dickens stated.

"I'd like that very much," Hans replied.

"You can meet my wife and daughter as well. Although I can't guarantee they'll be as big of fans of yours," Charles said.

"Dare I ask?" Hans asked.

"Uh, no. No, you dare not," Dickens answered, smirking.

"Can't wait," Hans replied, returning the smirk and rolling his eyes. He looked over and spotted Alfred approaching them. So, he'd spotted him after all. Alfred was closer to his age than Lars's, but he'd never really connected to him as well as Mael had. "Have you met Lord Tennyson?" Hans questioned.

"Not for long," Charles answered. "I more saw him, really. He's… a little out of my class. Nobility, aristocracy. A joke."

Hans inwardly cringed. Apparently, Dickens was no fan of royalty. Not that he could blame the guy. It was probably best he kept his mouth shut about being a prince. Here was hoping Alfred kept his mouth shut about it too. "Hans Wester…" Alfred began.

"Andersen," Hans cut off. "Yes. I'm Hans Andersen. You know who I am, Alfred."

"Barely," Alfred replied. Hans frowned at the subtle dig as to how little anyone knew of the youngest princes and how they were basically nothings. However, Alfred was a good sort and seemed to catch on to the fact Hans didn't want to be known as royalty. No wonder, Alfred inwardly noted. If Hans had taken a liking to Dickens, he'd hardly want to put a possible friendship with the man at risk by admitting he was royalty.

"Charles Dickens, this is Lord Alfred Tennyson. He's a friend of someone close to me," Hans said.

"A cousin?" Dickens asked. As far as anyone knew, Hans Andersen was an only child.

"We'll go with that," Alfred answered. "A pleasure, Mr. Dickens."

"Not so much for me," Charles bluntly answered.

"You're a rude little fellow, aren't you?" Alfred said.

"Forgive me, Lord Tennyson. I just… am not exactly a fan of royalty. I don't trust them. At all. However, I have to admit your poems are some of the most beautiful I've ever had the pleasure of reading. _The_ _Lady of Shallot_ is just… I'm awed at it," Dickens said.

"Thank you," Alfred replied, smiling. "It was a favorite of mine."

"No wonder," Dickens replied. He turned back to Hans. "Mr. Andersen, if you'd be so kind as to exchange your information with me? I'd love to keep in touch with you."

"I would be every bit as honored, Mr. Dickens," Hans answered, starting to scribble down his mailing address. Well, Kristoff's. He'd sort that out with the Ice Harvester later. What? He couldn't very well say he lived in a castle now, could he? He handed the paper over and Charles gave his own.

"Should fortune smile on us, perhaps we'll meet again before this party is over," Dickens said.

"May fortune be kind, then," Hans replied. Charles smiled, bowed to Hans and Tennyson, then left.

Frozen

Alfred watched after Dickens then turned to Hans dubiously. "Really?" he asked.

"What?" Hans asked, frowning.

Alfred sighed, shaking his head. "Sometimes I wonder about you," he said.

"What?" Hans repeated.

"You do know true friendship is when someone accepts another for who they are, right? You're really so afraid of Charles shutting you out when he learns you're a prince, that you're going to spin one of your infamous webs of deceit again?" Alfred asked.

"Only until I'm on firmer ground with him," Hans answered. "It's not like I can keep the fact I'm a prince secret forever. In case the worst happens, though, I'd like to milk this for all its worth if nothing else. Anyway, how have you been?"

"Fine. How's Lars?" Alfred asked.

"Mael's been… better," Hans answered.

"His powers?" Alfred asked, frowning worriedly.

"Not so much those as… Well, maybe. Not the dark ones, but the whole seer spiel? He's taken to peering into those visions more often lately. I'm a little worried about him," Hans said.

"At least _that_ aspect of his power can only mentally devastate him instead of physically," Alfred said. "Although, I suppose emotional anguish is worse than physical tends to be. But this way you know he won't suddenly snap and lose himself."

"True," Hans admitted.

"So, you're married to the Queen of Arendelle. Such amazing fortune you've found," Alfred remarked. "I've heard she's beautiful. And wonderful. And kind. And your tether to humanity."

"Her being what holds me to humanity doesn't mean I love her any less," Hans answered. "This isn't some obsession, Alfred, or some necessity."

"I never said it was, Hans," Alfred answered with a sigh. "But if you're getting so defensive about something like that, maybe she _is_ too much a necessity right now."

"Read some of your poems then come back and lecture me. I loved _The Lady of Shalott_ , but really? The woman pining away in unrequited love for Lancelot and dooming herself to death just because she absolutely had to look out the window after him? See a man once, fall for him, and doom yourself. Death by curse, what a way to prove your love for a guy you haven't even spoken to," Hans bit.

"I have to confess, you have a point," Alfred admitted. "But deciding to send a letter to him to come visit her then get to talking over tea and crumpets or whatever else, just doesn't have the same poetic ring to it, somehow. It's all well and good for a storywriter to have her confess about the curse and have the knight ride off to find a way to break it so he can be with his love, but not for a poet."

"You realize I've written a good few poems myself, right?" Hans asked.

"I'm not criticizing your poems, Hans. Wow you're a defensive little thing," Alfred replied. "I actually really like them. You're just playing dumb and you know it."

Hans sighed. "Alright, I get what you mean. 'She left the web, she left the loom, to write a letter and avoid her doom' definitely wouldn't warrant as powerful an outcome as 'The mirror cracked from side to side, The curse has come upon me, cried the Lady of Shalott'," he admitted. "I suppose Elaine can be forgiven. She didn't know that death would be the outcome if she looked after Lancelot and towards Camelot."

"Precisely. Besides, I wouldn't have been able to slip in that reference to your brother and his abilities if I'd gone that route. There's storytelling and then there's poem writing," Alfred said. "I'm sure, though, that you could make quite a tale out of Elaine of Shalott sending for Lancelot and having him ride out to try and find a way to break the curse. With your talent, you could probably make it sound amazingly beautiful too, if you turned the poem into a story. Actual legend aside."

"Afraid I couldn't hope to do your poem justice, Lord Tennyson," Hans said.

Alfred smiled, pleased by the flattery. "It's good to see you well, Prince Hans. I'm sure you'll enjoy every minute of this gathering. The Countess will probably drag the party on for a week. Good to see you and Dickens hitting it off. Best not tell your wife about this wild week of togetherness, though," he teased.

"Why does everybody assume I'm…?" Hans began. He trailed off. "Never mind. Stupid question." He'd kind of set up 'his' backstory so that it would come across that way and leave people questioning for a good long time.

"You brought it on yourself," Alfred said.

"No regrets," Hans answered, shrugging it off.

Alfred smiled, nodding. "I'll perhaps see you later, your majesty. By the way, your attention to the power of women in your stories? It's quite brilliant. Ahead of our time. Be careful with things that are ahead of their time."

"I will, and have been," Hans answered, bowing to Tennyson. The nobleman bowed back before leaving.

Frozen

"Hans!" a voice called. Edvard. Hans was starting to remember why he hated these things. You never got a moment to yourself. Not that he begrudged Edvard for coming to find him. It was just he was getting a little sick of the crowds here and the constant interruptions. Hans turned curiously and started. With Edvard was a young woman who looked like she was his sister. "I never introduced you to my sister," Edvard said. Nailed it, Hans inwardly cheered to himself. "Louise, this is Hans Christian Andersen. Well, his real name is Hans Christian Westergaard, but eh. He's the youngest prince of the Southern Isles."

"That a prince could write stories as in depth and beautiful and all-inclusive as yours, your highness, is nothing short of amazing," she said, curtsying to him.

"Thank you, Miss Collin," Hans answered, bowing with a smile as Harald and Carl found them and approached.

"You are a remarkable man," she said.

Hans kept the smile on, though the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. As if he hadn't had enough problems with the Ice Maiden, he inwardly noted to himself. Now _this_ woman was flirting with him? Did no one respect the sanctity of marriage, anymore? Disgusting. Not her! She wasn't disgusting. The fact no one seemed to honor the fact he was off the market was disgusting. 'Hey, you're gorgeous. Can't really blame them,' Anna would tease, which was kind of a point. As far as a good many women were concerned, he was quite the prize indeed. He should really advertise the fact Kelin-Sel and Iscawin were still free. Then maybe all these girls who were showing interest in him would go for one of the other two. After all, they were closer to the throne of the Southern Isles anyway. Not to say all women, and men for that matter, were after money or power! Just… a lot more of them than he'd initially believed. Money, power, and looks. Which was also disgusting, but then he couldn't really talk. Elsa was all of that, after all. Thing was he hadn't _married_ her for her looks or riches or power. It hadn't hurt, but he hadn't married her for those things.

"Thank you, my lady," he replied, bowing to her. "My wife tends to tell me as much time and time again." And by time and time again, he meant whenever she caught him slipping into a depressive funk or began to suspect he was avoiding her out of shame or something. He caught Edvard cringe slightly and bit his tongue. Elsa was still a sore spot between them. He'd intended to avoid much mention of her in Edvard's presence. He gave his friend and apologetic look before turning back to the woman, smiling.

"Ah, your wife," Louise said, sounding less than impressed. She put on a smile again, though. "I suppose there's little use in attempting to seduce you, then?"

"Louise!" Edvard exclaimed in horror.

"Oh hush you," Louise replied, smirking playfully at her brother.

"No use whatsoever," Hans replied.

"Unfortunate for you that I like challenges," she answered.

"Unfortunate for you that no such challenge as this has ever succeeded on me before," Hans answered.

"Surely there's a first time," she said.

"Try if you must, but you won't win," he answered, smirking. The girl was entertaining, he'd give her that. He definitely could see her brother in her. Which would only make this about a thousand times more awkward if he actually _did_ start to get intrigued. Ending up interested in a female Edvard would be quite the topic over dinner for sure. "Now if you'll excuse me, my lady, I see two more of my friends over there I need to speak to. It's about time we all headed back to our hotel. It's getting late and the crowds are dying down here."

"I agree," Edvard said, frowning at his sister with a less than impressed look.

"Oh don't give me that," Louise said to her brother, frowning back.

"Really, Louise, show some decorum," he said.

"Bite me Edvard," she replied, fanning herself and walking away while swaying her hips quite markedly. Hans rolled his eyes with a smile. He didn't give her the satisfaction of even attempting to watch her go, turning instead to go straight to Harald and Carl, Edvard at his side.

"Sorry for my sister," he said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's okay," Hans replied. "I've handled situations like that before." And worse ones. Like with the Ice Maiden going under the name 'Greta'.

"That's a relief," Edvard replied as they joined up with Carl and Harald.

Frozen

So sooner had they gotten to the hotel when a courier approached them. "Hans Andersen?" the man asked.

"Yes?" Hans asked, raising an eyebrow.

"This letter came for you," the courier stated, handing an unmarked letter over. "It was specified on the front that it was to be given to you immediately, though there was no name on it."

Hans took it. "Thank you," he said. He didn't even need to look to know who it had come from. Probably his brothers, and it sounded like something was going down. He sighed in annoyance as the courier left, opening the envelope. "What now?" he asked slightly agitatedly. He pulled out the note and read it through. Annoyance became a more serious and guarded expression soon enough. He was oddly quiet as he read.

"Hans?" Harald soon asked after he was fairly sure the other had read the letter over more than once.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry. Just a message from my brothers. Apparently, the pirate Xe is becoming a lingering threat and is pressing harder than usual against our shores. It isn't an immediate danger, they just saw it fit to warn me in case it becomes one and they need me," Hans said. "I don't like how close he's drifting to both Arendelle's shores and the Southern Isles, apparently he doesn't learn, but it's not overly concerning just yet," he said.

"Good. Then you can forget about the pirate and we can go up to my room and Edvard's for a night cap," Carl said. "Put it out of your mind, your highness. You're here for leisure, not to deal with the concerns of yours and Elsa's kingdom and your brothers'."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go," Hans relented, smiling and tucking the letter away.

"Good man," Edvard said, clapping his shoulder with a grin.


	2. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

(A/N: This chapter and the next were never meant to exist. Originally I was sending Hans right back to Arendelle with the first chapter only being a setup for a future story, probably. Until some reviews seemed to imply more was wanted. So more there now is. Wrote this chapter and the next last night, actually. Anyway, we break away from the casual for a while in this chapter. That wasn't originally intended, but the 'muse' got away on me, so in this chapter I get back to darker themes again. Given the title of it, I probably didn't even need to say as much here. The chapter after, and subsequent ones for a little while at least, go back to casual and normal like in the first.)

"Does that woman have nothing better to do than throw parties?" Hans complained to his friends. Well, the three that were conscious anyway. This marked about the third night in a row that one had been held, and frankly, he was sick of them. Franz would be in his element. Him, not so much. The only respite was that these last few days had been spent in Dickens's company, as he'd invited the man to join their little group after seeing his fellow author visibly upset—and drinking like a fish—after what he could only infer was a heated argument with his wife. Hey, if Charles couldn't spend this week with his family because of drama, he might as well spend it with them.

"This kid can't hold his liquor," Carl grumbled, struggling with Hans to carry a passed-out Harald to bed.

"Why did you let him drink so much?" Hans demanded of Edvard.

"I'm sorry, okay!" Edvard replied. "But he wanted to try out the whole competition thing and who was I to stop him?"

"The mature man with what's supposed to be a fully developed brain!" Hans bit.

Dickens laughed. "Calm yourself, Hans. How was he to know the boy was such a lightweight?" he said.

"I don't know? Maybe by the early slur in the voice? The early loss of balance?" Hans replied.

"The guy's a professional dancer! He couldn't be off-balance if he tried," Edvard defended.

"He has a point," Dickens said.

"Now excuse the slurring," Carl growled.

"He didn't talk much," Edvard replied. "Certainly not enough for me to catch a slur when I was already a little inebriated myself." He winced. Ooh, sudden head-rush. And queasy stomach. Hmm, he might need some fresh air soon. Harald whimpered slightly, stirring a little and mumbling something totally incoherent. Hans and Carl placed him on the bed on his side, propping him up in case he vomited.

"I'm setting your sister on you," Hans said icily. The woman had practically attached herself to him, so odds were she'd be willing. Heck, even if she hated him she'd probably be willing. Siblings and all that.

"Don't you dare," Edvard warned. "Ugh, I don't feel well."

"Humph," Carl replied. He sighed deeply. "Fine, get your cape, hat, decorative cane or whatever you have, and let's go for an evening walk."

"I suppose I'll come too," Hans said, shaking his head at Harald. He could use the fresh air.

"Shouldn't someone stay with Harald?" Charles questioned.

"I'll appoint a maid to keep an eye on him. She'll be all too willing to be his guardian angel. Plus, when he wakes up and sees her looking at him with stars in her eyes, he'll get his comeuppance for being a stupid teenager. Young man. Whatever," Hans said. He kind of still associated Harald with a nineteen-year-old kid. Calling him a young man would take some getting used to. At some point over the years that he'd been captured in Cumberland, his friend had grown up. More or less. Still a young man, who _definitely_ thought like a young man, but he was maturing. He'd always been a bit mature for his age anyway.

"Very well," Dickens agreed, smiling. "I have a new novel I'm working on that I've been dying to talk about anyway."

"You may have just salvaged this night for me, Charles," Hans replied, smiling and perking up.

Frozen

The group of four exited the hotel and stepped out into the misty London streets. A light rain was drizzling, but it wasn't cold or uncomfortable. It was quite refreshing, actually. "London's never looked so lovely," Edvard said.

"Yeah. The smog really highlights the beauty," Carl deadpanned. "Have you even been to the mountains, Edvard?"

Edvard frowned. "I mean lovely in comparison to what it usually is," he replied.

"Still a dirty little hellhole tainted and marred and scarred by the Industrial Revolution," Charles said. "But hey, it's home. And the night is certainly more clear than usual." Maybe one day it would be clean again, hopefully.

They set off down the misty streets. It was peaceful out here. Every so often a couple or a pair of friends or a group would wander by on their side of the street or the other, but such encounters were few and far between. The most noise being made was from the late returning stagecoaches and the tomcats and stray dogs wandering around. As they walked, Charles gave them a mini tour of everything of any importance that they were passing.

"Is it true some chimney sweeps get trapped in the chimney's and die?" Carl asked.

"You've been talking to Edgar Allan Poe, haven't you?" Hans deadpanned, frowning at his friend. Poe was _quite_ a morbid sort. Carl cleared his throat, glancing away sheepishly.

"It's very rare. And it's usually small boys," Charles stated, a frown etched on his face at the thought. "One tragic tale is too many, let alone more than that."

"Says the man who penned 'A Tale of Two Cities?'" Hans challenged. Which hadn't even gone into print yet, actually, Dickens was hesitating for just that reason, but he'd gotten an exclusive look at it and a copy for his pleasure. In turn, he'd given Charles an early draft of _The Ice Maiden_ , as of yet not finished. Charles flushed deeply and innocently grinned, shrugging.

"At least it was an adult who's suffering in that one and not a child," Edvard said. "So, I'm going to be morbid and ask. What kind of sad tales?"

"Let's not go into detail," Charles replied. "To sum one story up, little boy crying pitifully out for help. Many people who loved him including his parents trying to save him. One day there were no more cries. Enough said. On other occasions, there have been suffocations."

"Wow. That _is_ depressing," Edvard said. He was kind of sorry he'd asked.

"Not half as much for you as it was for that child's parents. And the families of others who have died in that line of work," Dickens replied. "Now let's talk about brighter things. Like how we can actually see the stars and how the air actually smells semi-fresh tonight."

"Nothing compared to Sweden or Norway or Denmark," Hans replied, smiling. Or Switzerland, or a good many other Scandinavian lands that were edged by mountains and oceans. "Now, you were going to tell us about your latest story. What was it called again? _Nicholas Someone-or-other_?"

"Nickleby. Nicholas Nickleby," Charles replied, smiling. "I actually based it on an acquaintance of mine. A very hard worker, very determined and family oriented."

"Hey, who's that guy watching us from across the street?" Edvard suddenly said, eyeing someone across the way. The others turned curiously and Dickens tensed up.

"Look away and keep walking," Charles said.

"Why?" Edvard asked, though he listened immediately.

"Just to be safe. He's a very odd fellow, a doctor I think. I pointedly keep my wife and children away from him. He's a good man, just… very unpredictable. It's like one day he's him, a very pleasant and amiable man to be sure who you'd certainly like to have for tea, then the next he's someone completely different and you can't recognize him. You can never tell which he is until too late, and better safe than sorry. The affable side of him usually won't wander the streets at night, so I fear he might be the darker man at the moment. It's unsettling, to say the least," Dickens said.

"Look at the guy on your right hand," Carl said. Charles looked over at Hans, who started. "Yeah, you want unsettling and unpredictable, hang around him for a while."

"He's actually greatly improved," Edvard lamely defended. "But we digress. Continue, Charles, in telling us about _Nicholas Nickleby_ ," Dickens smiled and did so, explaining the premise to the best of his ability.

Frozen

Meanwhile, back in the hotel… Harald groaned weakly and felt sick. He gasped, lunging for a bucket and not stopping to question why it was there - he could assume one of his friends had left it - throwing up into it. Never again, he promised himself. Never ever, ever again. "You recovered fast. My concoction really worked," a voice said.

He looked up dazedly and started. Edvard's sister. "Louise?" he said.

"It was going to be a random maid, Hans wanted to see you squirm for your foolishness, but he took pity on you last minute and sent me in," Louise Collin said.

"What in the world did you give me?" Harald asked.

She shrugged. "I threw some old wives-tale remedies together and hoped I hadn't poisoned you," she answered.

"Your concern for the well-being of your brother's friend is touching," Harald deadpanned.

"Don't be like that. With how drunk you were, if I hadn't done anything you probably wouldn't have woken up until tomorrow afternoon. And had a hell of a hangover on top of it," she said.

"Miss Collin!" Harald exclaimed, surprised at the language.

"Sorry," she said. "Learned it from Edvard. Anyway, you're still having the hangover, but it's a lot less potent than it would have been."

"Where are the others?" Harald asked.

"Edvard was a bit buzzed, so they took him out for some fresh air," she said. "You might be able to find them if you go out there, but then again wandering London's streets alone? That might not be the smartest idea. How about you stay here with me and talk to me about, oh, I don't know, the women you pine for, Hans's weaknesses, something like that."

"He's married," Harald deadpanned, frowning. "I'm not handing him to you on a silver platter."

"Ah, but you _could_ ," she said.

"I have no idea what I could or couldn't do in regards to Hans," Harald replied. "Best advice I could give you? Become Elsa. That, or you could take the villainous route and hold something he loves above his head. Then again, that would push more into non-consensual territory and it would all just be a big mess from there."

"Those are your tips? Body snatch his wife or blackmail him?" she incredulously asked. "What does she do that makes him weak in the knees. Surely you know."

"I don't ask," Harald replied, slowly sitting up and holding his head. "And if I did, I wouldn't tell you. Are you even all that interested in him?"

She shrugged. "I wouldn't protest if something happened, I might play at it every so often just on the off-chance something works, but otherwise no. He's just one of the only genuinely interesting men I've met at the Countesses' week-long shindig thus far," she answered. "Any chance I can hook _you_ for arm candy?" It definitely wouldn't be going beyond that with _any_ guy she might pick up here, not even Hans, but hey, arm candy was nice.

"Are you really that bored?" Harald asked, smirking dryly.

"I'm not an intellectual woman, Mr. Scharff. I'm here at Edvard's pleasure. Rubbing arms with socialites isn't on my list of general interests, though admittedly I'm really liking the status upgrade. I may never go back to a common woman's lifestyle again. The food in this one is too good," she said.

"True enough. You're a woman after Hans' brothers' hearts," he said.

"He has brothers that are still single?" she asked, perking up slightly. "They as good looking?"

"Some more," Harald replied with a smile. Most are engaged or married with children, but there are three that are still single and a few newly widowed, so I won't bring them up just yet. As to the singles, there's Franz, who is pining after a woman he might never see again—he's perfect for you if you're only looking for some fun or a fling that might lead to more, help him let her go and all that—there's Kelin-Sel, probably the most beautiful of all the brothers, and there's Iscawin, the second youngest. He looks a good deal like Hans and he, like your brother, pines desperately after the Queen of Arendelle, but they both lost out on that game. Anyway, I'm going to try and see if I can find my friends," Harald said.

"I'll come with you. You're in no condition to wander the streets alone," she answered, standing.

"Very well," Harald answered.

Frozen

"I can hardly wait to read that the completed story," Hans said as Charles finished summarizing the premise for _Nicholas Nickleby_.

"I have a manuscript almost ready to go. You may have the chance to read it before it's even in print, if I finish by the end of the week," Dickens said.

"Really? Wow. I'd be honored," Hans said, grinning. "I'm afraid I have nothing to give you in turn this time. Well, I do, but I'd prefer to keep it under lock and key a while more."

"It's fine, Hans," Dickens assured. "Now, there'll be romance in this one, so odds are I'll encompass a wider female audience this time," he added with a smile. Perhaps it'll draw your wife's interest."

"Oliver Twist did that well enough," Hans replied, smirking.

"I liked the _Pickwick Papers_ ," Carl said.

"It was a very popular format," Dickens said. "Nicholas Nickleby will follow the pattern, I think. _Oliver Twist's_ format didn't go over as well.

"Why I'll never know. It was a good book," Edvard said. "You and Hans do like focusing on the lower classes, don't you?" Frankly, he was surprised Charles seemed to tolerate _Carl's_ presence, given the man was a Duke, but Carl had a way of winning people over. That had been evidenced well enough during the suitor games. Admittedly, though, Carl was still the one Dickens interacted with the least among them.

"A shared trait," Dickens answered, grinning at Hans. Hans smiled back. All of a sudden they heard a terrified scream and spun around quickly with gasps.

"Louise!" Edvard exclaimed. He'd know that cry anywhere! Immediately he raced in the direction of the screams.

Frozen

Harald and Louise had been walking at as brisk a pace as Harald could go without his stomach revolting against him. "Are you sure he went this way?" Harald asked.

"I know my brother," she replied.

"What if he's not leading the path?" Harald asked.

"Then at least we've gotten some exercise," Louise answered. She frowned suddenly and stopped, looking back. "Do you hear something?"

"It sounds like little footsteps," Harald answered, turning as well. "Come out, whoever you are." A child, probably. Likely an urchin. When after a moment, the boy stepped sheepishly out, though, Harrald's mouth dropped. "Robert?" he asked. Wasn't this Robert Louis Stevenson? The young boy Hans had been talking to the first day of this party?

"I, uh, w-wanted to come with you to find Mr. Andersen and Mr. Dickens," Robert said. "I wanted their autographs and we're leaving tomorrow so I knew I wouldn't get a chance after tonight, and…"

"There, there, little one, we're not mad," Louise assured. "You should have come out earlier, though. London isn't the safest place at night. What if you'd been taken and couldn't call out for us? We wouldn't even know you'd ever been there."

"I'm sorry," Robert answered.

"Please tell me you didn't bring you little friend Arthur," Harald pled.

"No, Arthur's too little still," Robert answered.

Harald inwardly sighed in relief. The last thing they needed was to play babysitter. "Very well, come with us," he said. Robert nodded.

They turned to leave when Louise stopped. She'd heard laughing that sounded like Edvard's. "We may not have to go far. Wait here. I think I hear my brother." Quickly she set off at a run.

"Louise, wait! You just said London wasn't safe at night, and…" Harrald began. She was long gone. "Dammit. Come on, Robert!" Quickly he set off after her with the boy at his side.

Louise came up on a corner, but all of a sudden, down the adjacent sidewalk, came a man. They ran right into each other with a little scream. He caught her firmly. "Oh, I'm sorry sir, I was just…" she began. She cried out as he suddenly and roughly threw her to the ground with an enraged yell before starting to trample her! She screamed in terror, trying to protect herself. Harald and Robert raced around the corner and froze with gasps, mortified at what they were seeing and frozen as they tried to comprehend what was happening. Shaking out of the shock, Robert screamed and hid behind Harald.

"Louise!" Harald cried out at the same time as a not-too-far voice, obviously Edvard's, did. As if it was the most casual thing in the world, Louise's attacker stopped stomping on her and striking her with his cane and walked off like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Walked away like he'd never been in a rage trying to beat a young woman who had no defense to death. Harald raced towards her with Robert just as the others arrived on the scene.

Frozen

"Louise, no!" Edvard cried out, racing to her and falling at her side, near to tears. "Who did this?!"

"That man there!" Robert blurted, pointing towards the figure walking away.

"Police! Police!" Charles shouted out. The man looked back, an ugly and murderous scowl on his face, then started to run.

"Who is it?" Carl demanded.

"It's Dr. Jekyll!" Dickens answered in fear and shock. "I think? Or perhaps Mr. Hyde? Jekyll would never do this!"

"He's going to be Dr. Dead soon enough, whoever he is," Hans said, taking off after him.

"Hans, don't!" Harald called. The police arrived, but they knew it was too late. The officers tried to pursue the man regardless, but he was long gone. And so was Hans. Harald looked around and paled. And Robert! "The boy's gone!" he exclaimed in horror, holding his head in his hands.

"What boy?" Edvard asked, holding his shivering and frightened, but conscious and alert, sister close, as an officer went to find help for her.

"R-Robert Stevenson. He-he followed us, hoping to get Charles and Hans's autographs," she said.

Carl cursed loudly, kicking a nearby object violently and drawing his fingers through his hair. Well this just got better and better. He turned to Dickens. "Will Jekyll hurt the boy, if it's him?"

"Never Jekyll, but if it is Hyde… I don't know!" Charles exclaimed. Split personalities of the worst sort, he noted dryly. Oh gods, this wasn't good.

"Remind me to never have children," Harald dryly said.

"Ditto," Carl agreed.

Frozen

Hans raced after the caped man angrily, determined to catch him by any means necessary. The man raced around a corner and Hans followed. He darted into a building. Hans was right behind. He was barely keeping up with the person, but he wasn't far enough behind to lose him yet. He darted around a corner in time to see the man disappear into an office. He scowled and went after him. Seizing the door, he pulled at it. Locked. He inwardly cursed then tried to break it down. If he could help it, he didn't want to resort to the fire nonsense. Too risky here. The building looked ready to go up in flames at the slightest spark, let alone something greater. One more lunge and the door broke open. Cheap door, Hans dryly noted to himself. He raced in and slid to a stop with a gasp, seeing a man with shaking hands quickly drinking a vial of something. The man gasped, crying out, and dropped it, doubling over. In disbelief Hans watched in morbid fascination as the man appeared to change right in front of him. Not in appearance necessarily, not overmuch at least, but somehow yes as well.

When the man stopped crying out in pain and finally collapsed to his knees shivering, Hans could only stare, trying to figure out what the heck had happened and why this seemed like such a big change when it wasn't. "Mr. Andersen?" a little voice said.

Hans caught his breath, turning quickly. "Robert!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here? It's dangerous!"

"Please, you have to take the boy out of here. Immediately," the man on the ground pled.

Hans looked quickly over at him. "What's going on?!" he demanded.

"It's too hard to explain. Just… you have to go. Now. One day maybe you'll learn of the strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," the man answered. The child, Robert, looked more than a little intrigued.

"Summarize it!" Hans said.

"I don't know how long I can keep Hyde from coming back!" Jekyll exclaimed.

"The heck? You're the same person!" Hans shot.

"No! I mean, yes we are, but-but no, it's more complicated than that!" Jekyll insisted.

"Oh gods," Hans groaned. He got the feeling he had an idea of what he was dealing with here. Or at least something like it. Split Personality. It wasn't common, it was even less understood, but it was real and he was looking at it. Or… something like it. "Look, unless you start talking, I'm bringing you to the police. Effective immediately. You, he, whoever, trampled a girl who you accidentally bumped into on the street! You might have beaten her to death if we hadn't shown up!"

"No. No! Please, I… I can't tell you about… I just can't!" Jekyll exclaimed in despair.

Hans stared at him quietly a long moment. "I know what it's like…" he finally said. "To go from being one person to another with totally opposite morals depending on a situation." Jekyll, shivering, looked weakly up at him, tears burning his eyes. "The difference is I had control," he said. "I chose when to be the monster and how to be it, but you… I don't think you have the choice, do you?"

"I-I… Maybe… ? I can't tell anymore. I've fought a great part of my life, fro a young age, trying to supress evil urges within me that are-are just wrong, they're wrong! Especially for a man of my stature. Or what I thought was my stature? Just… It was like two separate people within me and I wanted so badly to stop the evil. In my teenage years, it seemed to get suddenly so much worse than it had been in my childhood, and I-I don't know why! I-I tried to separate the evil from me. I thought-I thought I could craft a serum that would mask the hidden wickedness I didn't understand, that somehow had become part of my personality. Instead, I transformed into a crueller, younger, remorseless sociopath by the name of Hyde!" Jekyll all but spat. Robert was clinging to Hans tightly, afraid. Hans was silent. He felt like he was experiencing déjà vu in the worst sort of way.

 _You were like that by choice… He was already a split personality. What's_ _ **your**_ _excuse, Writer of Fairy Tales? Wicked Prince?_

"I'd only wanted him to seem different from me so that I could let out my pent-up frustrations as someone else without tarnishing my reputation. I didn't know he'd become what he did! As Hyde, I was mysterious and violent, and as time went by I realized I had given life to the very part of me that I had wanted to hide. I had given life to the evil, an evil greater than I'd imagined existed in me… And it was, and is, consuming me now. People have died! Many! He murdered them and inadvertently caused the death of one of his victims. There's no escaping anymore. I kept taking the potion and taking it until I no longer needed it to unleash the inner demon. It was like a sick addiction! I managed to stop for a while, for the sake of my friends and loved ones, but temptation and desire, and again addiction… And I feel him growing and growing in power still… He has become so strong, sir, just so strong… For god's sake, I rely on the blasted potion to keep the part of me that's still _me_ conscious! But I'm down to the last of the serums and trying to make more has failed because dammit, there must have been some impurity in the original chemicals that I can never reproduce again, and when the last elixir runs out… When the last elixir runs out, Hyde will consume me… Forever… I cannot let that monster live! …So, I will write a confession, I think, and doom him and me both. I wonder… Will they execute Hyde, or will Hyde choose to take his own life before they can seize him? I didn't want to leave my friends and loved ones like this, I didn't! I tried to fight back, I tried to… I can't do it, I can't! I've failed! Whatever Hyde does, whether allowing himself to be taken or ending his own wretched existence, I don't care. As long as he's gone!" Jekyll exclaimed, breaking down into tears and sobs, rocking back and forth in fear and shame and anguish.

Frozen

Hans watched in silence. Robert whimpered, holding tighter to Hans's clothes. "Mr. Andersen?" he uneasily asked, not sure what to make of this.

Hans was silent. "Stay here Robert," he murmured gently. The boy swallowed, nodding. Cautiously Hans approached the man and knelt in front of him. Jekyll looked shakily up, cheeks stained with tears. Hans half wondered if the man had stopped weeping since realizing truly what he had become… He examined Jekyll quietly.

"You must attend to the commencement of this story, for when we get to the end we shall know more than we do now about a very wicked hobgoblin; he was one of the very worst, for he was a real demon… One day, when he was in a merry mood, he made a looking-glass which had the power of making everything good or beautiful that was reflected in it almost shrink to nothing, while everything that was worthless and bad looked increased in size and worse than ever. The most lovely landscape appeared like boiled spinach, and the people became hideous, and looked as if they stood on their heads and had no bodies. Their countenances were so distorted that no one could recognize them, and even one freckle on the face appeared to spread over the whole of the nose and mouth. The demon said this was very amusing. When a good or pious thought passed through the mind of anyone, it was misrepresented in the glass, and then how the demon laughed at his cunning invention…"

"What story is that?" Robert questioned.

Hans smiled sadly. "One far from being complete, little one," he answered in a murmur. Robert was quiet. Jekyll, on the other hand, was looking at Hans even more pale than before, a cold sweat on his brow and eyes wide in horror and growing realization.

 _This stranger knew all he saw…_

"All who went to the demon's school—for he kept a school—talked everywhere of the wonders they had seen, and declared that people could now for the first time, see what the world and mankind were really like. They carried the glass about everywhere, till at last there was not a land nor a people who had not been looked at through this distorted mirror. They wanted even to fly with it up to heaven to see the angels… But the higher they flew the more slippery the glass became, and they could scarcely hold it, till at last it slipped from their hands, fell to the earth, and was broken into millions of pieces. A few of the pieces were so large that they could be used as window-panes; it would have been a sad thing to look at our friends through them. Other pieces were made into spectacles. This was dreadful for those who wore them, for they could see nothing either rightly or justly… At all this the wicked demon laughed till his sides shook. It tickled him to see the mischief he had done. There were still a number of these little fragments of glass floating about in the air, and now you shall hear what happened with one of them…" Hans said.

"Is that… is that why I'm _this_ …? Because of some cursed shard from a thrice damned mirror?" Jekyll breathed.

Hans was quiet, head bowed. "It's why the serum reacted as it did, perhaps," he soon answered.

"How do you know of it?" Jekyll asked. Hans met his eyes again. Jekyll caught his breath. He didn't need a verbal answer.

 _He feels what you feel… But he did not make the mistake of trying to defeat it…_

"I have a brother, schooled in magic. He can save you… If he isn't enough, there are other connections I know of that… Just don't give up," Hans pled. "I know how badly you want to because I felt the same, once, but I can save you… Hyde may yet become a completely different man if only you'll let us try. Then you won't have to die _with_ him." Jekyll whimpered slightly then cried out. Hans leapt back, immediately realizing the transformation that was happening. "Robert, run!" he ordered the boy, pointing towards the door. Robert was frozen in place, wide-eyed and mortified. Hans inwardly cursed. Fight, flight, or freeze. It seemed Robert, like Harald, was more prone to freezing. Quickly he ran back to the boy and pushed him out the door before turning swiftly, barely in time to face Hyde as the man tackled him against the wall violently. Hans cried out in pain, hearing wood crack. Wow, this building was worth crap all. Either that or Hyde was just that strong. Or _he_ was just high enough on adrenaline to not realize how much pain he was really in after this tackle.

"You stupid, worthless boy!" Hyde roared in fury. "He's gone now! You'll never see him again, I'll be sure of it!" Viciously Hans unleashed a fireball into Hyde's stomach. Hyde staggered back with a scream of pain, writhing and throwing off the burning clothes.

"As if I have time for this," Hans said with a scoff. This was supposed to be just a normal week, dammit! Why did the damn mirror have to turn the most casual and fun of things into some nightmarish hell straight from Dante?! "I'm done with you, Carabis! You _and_ your stupid mirror!" He knew the troll king could hear him. "I just wanted a vacation, dammit, was that too much to ask?!" He tackled Hyde full on, knocking him to the ground and getting locked in combat. He looked towards the door and inwardly cursed. Robert hadn't fled! Wait… This could work. "Robert, get the serum!" Hans ordered. "Get it now!"

Robert gasped and raced to the table they'd seen Jekyll bent over earlier. He clambered up onto it and gasped. There were so many different ones! "Which one, Mr. Andersen?!" he called fearfully.

"Get. Them. All!" Hans ordered between blocking violent blows and trying to keep Hyde from pulling free and ripping the child to pieces. It was apparent that's what he wanted to do, for sure. It wasn't smart to grab them all, for all he knew there were poisons there, but hey, if he ended up killing Jekyll and Hyde both, then Jekyll was no better off than he would have been had another chance not been given to him. At this point he was pretty sure Jekyll just wanted it to end and didn't care how. Quickly Robert began throwing the serums down. "Come on, Doc, give me a break here," Hans said through gritted teeth as he reached for the nearest serum while simultaneously trying to keep a knife away from his throat. Which one was it?!

Robert, alarmed, quickly turned to some papers and began reading them. It all seemed like gibberish to him, but there were some picture ones. Wait. There! "Mr. Andersen, it's the pale green one!" he exclaimed.

Hans violently kicked Hyde over his head and dove for it, snatching it up. Hyde came at him again with the knife. Robert screamed, covering his eyes. As the blade neared, Hans put up a hand and heat radiated from his palm intense enough to start to melt the metal and actually make the whole room uncomfortably hot. Hyde gasped, leaping back in shock, and Hans pounced, seizing the man and throwing him down. Robert, come grab the vile! I'll pin him, you pour it down his throat!" He turned back to Hyde. "You owe me so big for this, Jekyll." He growled. Ruin his evening, possibly his whole vacation if something didn't make this nightmare worthwhile, oh yeah, the doc owed him. Robert raced to Hans's side and took the serum, opening it with his teeth. Hans fought to pin Hyde down, but Hyde tossed his head side to side almost ferally growling. Hans head-butted him and regretted it, but it had stunned the man long enough for little Robert to act. Quickly he did so, pouring the serum into Hyde's mouth then covering it so Hyde would be forced to swallow. He really hoped Hyde didn't bite him. He was scared he would, but Hyde was apparently too dazed by the head-butt to think straight. It wasn't long before he swallowed it. Gradually the writhing and fighting began to die down, and Hans and Robert both watched in morbid wonder and perhaps horror as the subtle transformation began again…


	3. Of Two Personalities

Of Two Personalities

(A/N: Since the Jekyll Hyde thing isn't the main focus of this story - could have made it a whole one if I'd thought about it earlier - it gets resolved here. Next chapter Hans is back in Arendelle, though I'm not done with Jekyll entirely, and the story continues towards what I had in focus originally, though I won't very well let it go with no further mention. Might lead to a story in future, might not, but we'll see.)

"Hans?! Hans!" the prince's friends called worriedly, searching for him along with the police.

"Oh gods, what if he's dead. What if that psycho killed him?!" Harald fearfully said.

"Don't think like that," Carl shot. "The man can handle himself against a common thug."

"Hans, where are you?!" Charles called.

"Hi guys," someone said, voice sounding forced. They glanced over and saw Hans exiting a building looking sheepish and awkward. Little Robert followed behind him staring up at a third man they didn't recognize.

"Is that the man who attacked you, miss?" an officer asked Louise.

"He…" she began before hesitating. She didn't honestly know. He looked similar, but...

"Isn't!" Hans blurted, finishing her answer for her. "Um, this guy was almost a-a victim of that guy, and, uh… Hey, meet my new acquaintance, Dr. Henry Jekyll," Hans said, forcing a grin. Charles stared at him with eyes wide in disbelief. Was he not clear to Hans that Jekyll and Hyde were the same? Hmm, looking back he supposed he really hadn't been.

"We never asked you," the officer said. He turned to Louise again. "Is he the one?"

"Huh? Him? I-I don't know what's happening! I don't… I can't tell! It was dark and he caught me off guard and… I feel faint," she said. She really didn't want to answer questions when she had no clue what was happening. Time for a quick escape. Playing distressed damsel usually worked. It stroked male pride. With an exaggerated sigh, she let herself slump down. An officer caught her in his arms looking flustered then quite pleased with himself before quickly regaining the neutral look.

"Louise! We need to get her home. Immediately. I'm sure Jekyll is qualified to treat her," Edvard said. He had an idea of what his sister was doing. He almost felt like pulling the _same_ stunt. None of them wanted to answer questions when they didn't know why Hans was keeping his own mouth shut.

"I'm barely qualified to treat _myself_ ," Jekyll said, voice dazed and weak sounding.

"He's a kidder!" Hans blurted. The officers gave him odd and suspicious looks, but decided the woman was the top priority right now.

"Alright, we'll escort you all back," one of the officers assured.

"Thank you," Carl said.

Frozen

No sooner had they entered their rooms, thankfully the officers hadn't come as they'd determined to escort young Robert back to his parents with two autographs as a trophy for his aid, before Hans and Jekyll were being bombarded with questions. "What the hell is going on, Hans?!" Charles finally blurted.

"It's a long story," Hans answered exhaustedly. "Look, I need to send a message to a friend of mine, Lars, as soon as possible to meet up with me at his earliest convenience. A sample of the serum too. This is important. _Really_ important." Hey, Jekyll hadn't been able to beat magic with science, but maybe Mael could beat science with magic? Hans sat Jekyll, still shaken and weak, on the bed and quickly pulled out the very, very few serums that had been left over. He winced. These wouldn't last a week. They might not even last a few days. He had to hurry. He looked to Jekyll. "We'll fix this, okay? But for a while, you're going to need to fight harder than you ever have before. It's tough, I know, but doable." Jekyll looked up at the younger man then nodded. Hans patted his shoulder. "Get some rest. As much as you dare." And if worse came to worse, like if Hyde tried to take over his sleeping host, he could always wrestle the guy again.

"Thank you," Jekyll whispered. Gently Hans squeezed his shoulder then rose to go to his friends, swiftly ushering them out. As soon as he could, he told them everything he knew about the situation. Well, most everything. Minus the possibility of the mirror in too much detail. It would sound crazy enough _without_ throwing in the mirror.

Frozen

"You say your friend can help him, maybe?" Charles said, looking tiredly into the room where Jekyll slept. It had been a lot to take in. He'd had no idea it had become so bad…

"I hope," Hans answered. "And if not, there's always the fae," he added, shrugging. Charles looked at him like he was crazy. "I know how it sounds," Hans said, frowning. Charles sighed, shaking his head and letting it go.

"How long will those potions last him, do you think?" Carl asked.

"I don't know the frequency of the changes," Hans answered. "Maybe a week, if they were somewhere between rare and common, but the way it sounded, these things are frequent to the point he has to drink them just to keep the part of him that's still Jekyll conscious. That's why I have to start sending letters and fast. Lars can sail here and act quickly in Jekyll's behalf. I just need to monitor the guy. He can't be alone right now. Or for a long while. He's ready and willing and resolved to die if that's what it takes to end Hyde, and when you're resolved, you don't fight as hard as you otherwise could."

"Maybe if he finds something to fight for he'll do better. Does he like men or women?" Louise asked.

"Really?" Edvard demanded, frowning at his sister in annoyance.

"Why do you think me a whore, brother? Look, I know I say things like this a lot. You think that I just flirt and flaunt for personal amusement. You think that I treat emotions like they're some kind of game, and you're right sometimes, but this round there might actually be some use for it. People who have something to fight for live longer, that's not even debatable," Louise defended.

"She's right. Sappy as it sounds, love and hope and compassion _are_ powerful, and very few can deny that," Hans said. "They're not a guarantee everything will be okay, sometimes even they're not enough, but at least his odds of pulling through this will go up more than they would if we did nothing." Maybe if Jekyll's mind was preoccupied with things other than Hyde, he'd be able to keep control of the good side of himself for longer. His desire to protect someone might possibly be the incentive he needed to last just long enough as Jekyll for help to come.

Edvard was quiet. "Fine," he finally relented. He didn't like it, but fine. "I suppose I'm moving into Louise's room, then." There was no way this stranger was sleeping in the same vicinity as his sister when at any time, he could transform into a sociopath.

"And I'll move into Carl's. Odds are Hans is more equipped to handle Jekyll if he becomes Hyde anyway," Harald said.

"You must be careful, Hans. If Hyde awakens and finds you vulnerable, it may be the last thing you ever experience," Charles worriedly said.

"I'll be fine," Hans assured. He'd just toss up a firewall and hope for the best. The best being that it didn't burn the place down while at the same time still being hot enough to keep Hyde at bay. "Hopefully tomorrow's evening walk will be less… eventful than this evening was."

"Agreed," Carl dryly said. "What do you think is happening to the man? Was this 'mirror' you keep mentioning the cause of it?"

"What mirror?" Charles asked. Hans was quiet, eyes wide. When had he let slip about the mirror to Carl, he inwardly panicked. He couldn't remember!

"You leave your journals lying in too tempting of places," Carl flatly stated. "I'm not going to claim to be above invading the privacy of others."

Hans glared at him and made a mental note to keep the journal under lock and key too for the rest of, oh, maybe eternity. "What is the mirror?" Harald repeated for Charles, looking curiously at Hans. Hans sighed deeply, massaging the bridge of his nose. Dammit... Taking a breath, he began to go into the basics of it in as little detail as possible. Namely by quoting what he'd murmured to Jekyll.

Frozen

When Hans finished the brief explanation, the others, as expected, were staring at him like he was insane. "Are you insane?" Edvard asked, all but confirming it. Hans frowned and went to some belongings of his, rifling around in them. Soon he pulled out a pair of spectacles and plopped them on Edvard's face. "Holy sh... What the f..." Hans clamped a hand over his mouth, taking back the glasses. Edvard was gawking in horror.

"Anyone else want to say I'm crazy?" Hans challenged, waving them in the air. The others were silent, pale.

"So the mirror _is_ the cause, then," Carl said.

"It couldn't be," Charles stated. "Jekyll has always had a split personality disorder. No mirror caused that."

"I'm in agreement with Charles. The mirror may be playing a part in this, but it didn't create Jekyll's initial disorder. I think it has to do with the potion. That serum he made was only meant to change his appearance whenever he felt Hyde slipping to the forefront, so that Jekyll's reputation wouldn't be tainted by whatever Hyde did. Instead of just changing his appearance when he became Hyde, though, it actually gave Hyde life. Real life. He told me he believed the chemicals he'd used for the serum had been tainted by something he'd probably never be able to reproduce. My bet is that the 'something' had to do with the mirror. Some shards were hardly bigger than dust. If those shards were what tainted the chemicals, they would have found their way inside of his body. Their sole purpose was laid out by the hobgoblin years ago, so it's not unlikely they would enter the blood stream and find their way to his heart and mind. There they gave life to the personality that was Hyde because they entered into Jekyll when he'd _become_ Hyde. The potion had already given another form to the persona. Odds are the unnatural amalgamation of science and magic didn't go well, because when Hyde comes into existence, he comes not just as another personality of Jekyll's, but as another man entirely, though still bound to Jekyll's body." Rhun would be proud of him, Hans dryly noted to himself. He was starting to sound like his brother. Great.

"So you're saying that instead of just dealing with the split personality disorder now, the other persona has taken on a life of his own?" Louise asked.

"Right," Hans said.

"So, he's hosting not just another personality, but a body too," Edvard gravely said. Two bodies couldn't live inside one body. Eventually one or the other would have to take over, and if things kept going like they were, Jekyll would be consumed by Hyde and all that would be left was the sociopath. The good man would be wiped from existence like he'd never been there.

"Sounds about right," Hans said.

"So what is it your friend Lars can do for him, then?" Charles asked.

"Since the mirror gave life to the duel personality, if Mael, err, Lars, can separate Hyde from Jekyll, they will become two separate entities. Jekyll will effectively be free not only of Hyde, but of his whole personality disorder. Hyde _was_ that disorder. Taking Hyde out of Jekyll, in theory, actually _cures_ Jekyll of his mental illness. Look, that man has done the _unthinkable_. He's melded magic, science, and psychology all, in a way no one has ever begun to imagine was possible! By making that tainted serum, he's opened up the possibility of freeing himself from both the shards and the mental illness for good with no ill-effect. With his split personality now possessing a mind of its own and a form, it can be expelled, and with it the mirror shard that gave it life. He's cheated fate and curse both," Hans said.

"This sounds insane!" Charles stated.

"Because Jekyll's transforming into an entirely different man via a potion he crafted in a pathetic lab in a building so rickety it should be condemned, is just another day," Hans sarcastically replied. "You've seen the changes, Charles," Hans replied. Charles shifted uneasily, looking towards the room where Jekyll was.

"Too much is happening for tonight. I think it's time we all took our rest and let it sink in," Louise suggested. The others agreed. Bidding one another goodnight, the group split up. Hans entered the room where Jekyll slept and watched him guardedly. He hoped he'd get to sleep tonight, but he doubted it highly. Gods, this had better work…

Frozen

The next evening most everything was semi-normal. Say for the constant defenses they'd put up against Jekyll for in case he became Hyde. Edvard had loaded his sister down with every sort of weapon he had on him. He didn't like the idea of leaving her to play nurse to the man, least of all when said man could become a monster in a moment, so he'd been certain that if he couldn't be there to protect Louise, Louise would definitely be able to protect herself. "I hope she's alright," he fretted as they walked down the streets.

"She'll be fine," Carl assured. "Jekyll didn't turn all day."

"Which means he's due," Edvard dryly replied.

"The way Louise is keeping his attention? Unlikely," Harald said. That girl knew how to be bewitching, if it suited her. She could be a real vixen. More than once she'd played a card that had found both him and Carl letting their eyes wander. Charles, a married man with children, had fought valiantly against the urge, but they'd caught him sneaking peeks every so often.

"Don't talk about my sister's showing off," Edvard deadpanned. He didn't like the idea of it in the least. Sociopaths often had very… depraved leanings, so if Hyde came to the forefront, the idea of what could happen to Louise… He shuddered at the thought.

"I'm wondering if I should be disturbed about the fact you're so consumed by thoughts of your sister that you haven't even noticed the prostitutes trying to catch your eyes," Charles remarked. Edvard started at the implication, flabbergasted. Charles smirked. "We're in the red district now. We need to be on guard."

"Why are we in the red district?" Hans demanded.

"Because only two of five are married and the other three are single," Carl answered.

"You're a depraved bastard, aren't you?" Edvard teased, smirking.

"I have no commitments," Carl said, shrugging.

"Technically I _do_!" Harald replied.

"Oh do you? Which one?" Carl challenged Harald started and frowned at him. Fair enough, he inwardly noted. "For the record, you're switching back to Hans's room. I'll take my chances with Jekyll and Hyde," he said.

"Why?" Harald demanded.

"Because you move far too much for me to get a good sleep," Carl answered flatly. "What, do you have monkeys in your trousers?"

"He's still with me," Hans said, smirking.

"You know how to handle him better than I do, then," Carl replied. "Either that or he feels much more secure with you than with me."

"Fine. But be careful, Carl," Hans said, frowning seriously.

"Always," Carl answered. "I'll sleep with a gun and knife under my pillow." A prostitute approached him, rubbing up close and whispering into his ear. Apparently, she liked his choice of words and the dangerous edge they'd implied. He smirked. He had half a mind to follow her, but he doubted the others would be interested in visiting a brothel. He wasn't all that interested himself, honestly, but if anything was going to happen, it was best it happen there where it was safest. "Liebschien, liebschien, nein. My friends are not interested in such games. They are married, you see. I cannot abandon them. Out here they would be like babes," he cooed to her.

"Shove it up yours, Carl!" Edvard sharply said, frowning. "All in favor of going to a brothel?"

"Are you crazy?" Hans immediately questioned. "How about you and him both start thinking with the big head above the shoulders?" Seriously, why were people so obsessed with sex? Sure it could be fun, but still!

"Well spoken Hans," Charles said, laughing at the shocked looks on Carl, Edvard, and the woman's faces. Harald snickered. Just then there was the sound of a distant scream and everyone fell silent. Sound carried in these streets, and they knew by how far away it was that there would be no hope of finding her let alone reaching her in time...

Frozen

The women began to shift uneasily and gather together. Judging by the sudden gravity of the situation, and Charles's solemn look, the scream couldn't mean anything good. "She will be found either dead or in a very bad way tomorrow," Dickens soon murmured to them, when the scream died down.

"Shouldn't we try and help her?" Harald nervously asked.

"No… She's far, far away from us, likely many kilometers. We can do nothing. Even if we ran as fast as we could, we wouldn't find her. London isn't exactly small. Even if we managed to track her down, by then it would be too late," Charles answered. "Sound carries in the quiet London nights... It's sad so many feel like they have no choice but to sell themselves…"

"But…" Harald began.

"You know, something that comes with age is realizing that sometimes there's nothing you can do. Realizing when it's worth it to try and when it's not. It's called practicality," Edvard said.

"It's called indifference," Harald answered, frowning and crossing his arms.

"Odds are we couldn't find her even if we had a pack of A-class hunting dogs. The scream is too indistinct," Carl pointed out.

"We're not going to stop you if you want to try and be a hero, Harald. You know we'll follow you. You should probably recall, though, that there are more people than just us on the streets. Likely people who are closer to her and actually able to help," Hans said. Besides, fact of the matter was that even if they found her after searching the city, no matter how hard they tried, they'd still be too late. At most all they'd be able to do is either bring the body to a morgue or attempt to be comforters. Given they were all men and what was happening to her now was self-explanatory, that would more likely drive her to hysteria.

"What if the woman was Elsa or Anna or Louise?!" Harald demanded.

"We'd race to try and find them," Hans admitted. "But the outcome would still be the same. We still wouldn't be able to track them down, we'd still be too late even if by some miracle we did, and assuming no one went searching for the source of the screams, they'd still be either dead or defiled by the time we got there. The only thing we could possibly offer Elsa or Anna or Louise is a shoulder to cry on, and that's only because they know and trust us. Whoever that girl is, she'll just run. Would _you_ want five males you'd never seen in your life bearing down on you after suffering an attack like that?" Harald grimaced. Hans made a point.

"You're more jaded and blunt than _I_ am," Carl wryly said to the prince. It was true of course, but he hadn't been about to say it out loud.

"If there was a chance, Mr. Scharff, we would take it," Charles said. After all, the boy made a point. At what point did it become impractical to try and save a life? There should never be one.

A whistle blew in the distance. "Oh good. The police are actually doing their jobs tonight," Edvard remarked. That meant they weren't going to have to play heroes. "Where were they when my sister was being trampled by Hyde?"

"They came the minute we called them," Harald answered, frowning at Edvard.

Charles, equally as put out by Edvard's obvious contempt, said, "The police force here is very competent, I'll have you know." He turned to Harald. "They have gone to the woman's aid, now. Let's just continue our walk." Harald nodded, relenting. Still… it just seemed so cold. He supposed the world was like that, though.

Frozen

Jekyll watched the woman, Louise, who had taken to nursing him. Edvard's sister he'd learned, after asking who she was. And the one Hyde had trampled… Surely it was painful for her to move around, right? Hyde hadn't exactly been gentle with her. Currently she was curled up in a little nook looking dreamily out a window. He wondered what she was thinking. "I'm sorry," he suddenly said. The first words he'd spoken to her yet, aside from 'thank you', he noted. Mostly he'd just been observing her as she went about her various tasks.

"For what?" she asked.

"For what he did to you… For what _I_ did to you," Jekyll answered.

She turned to him with a tilt of her head and a gaze that had butterflies fluttering in his stomach instantly. Swiftly he turned away from her, chastising himself. The girl was a good many years younger than him. He had no business admiring her. "I don't blame you, you know," she said in response.

"Perhaps you should," he answered. She laughed in a way that had the butterflies going again, and him cursing his seeming lack of self-restraint… But to be fair, she was a very pretty girl. "Hyde would never have come to be without me. At least not like he is now."

"But then you would have become him long ago," Louise answered, standing and approaching him. She moved with a pronounced sway that had him eyeing her longer than he'd intended to. She knelt next to him, folding her arms on the bed and resting her head on them as she looked towards his eyes. "Hans says the evil looking glass usually consumes those it embeds itself into. That soon there is very little that is still human and good. But here you are. I don't see Hyde. I see Jekyll. You outwitted it. You let the mirror corrupt a part of you that is not the whole. A part that can be separated and free you from its grasp. You've defied magic, science, fate, and psychology all, my sir, do you know that?"

"Defying magic, science, fate, and psychology is what got me _here_ ," Jekyll answered, looking away in self-disgust.

"There would be no you to save if you hadn't," she answered, standing gracefully up and gently resting the back of her hand against his brow. He caught his breath, she was satisfied to note. She was certainly keeping his attention. As they'd planned. She doubted that Hyde had crossed his mind before now. After a stunned moment the doctor closed his eyes. No wonder. Her touch must be more than a little soothing to his heated skin. "I'm glad you defied it. Even if only for a while," she added. Drawing away, she sauntered out of the room all grace. He watched after her with more interest than he cared to admit before realizing it and turning quickly away.

Shutting the door behind her, Louise smiled to herself. She liked him, she decided. When Charles had said that Jekyll was an affable sort, he hadn't been kidding. She might enjoy talking to him a bit more. He'd been very quiet all day. Little more than some muttered pleases and thankyous. Her smile fell to a worried frown. She was afraid he'd turn soon. He was starting to look tired and distracted and wholly not like himself. Edward Hyde was creeping ever closer to Henry Jekyll. With luck the others would be back before he switched. If not, she knew her best course of action was to hide somewhere and stay out of the way. She couldn't hope to hold Hyde down as well as force him to drink a potion if her life depended on it. He was not a small man. He was tall and well built, the doctor had taken care of himself, and even though he'd said Hyde was smaller than him, Jekyll could shrink a good number of centimeters and still be larger than her by a good deal.

Frowning, she opened the door slightly and peered inside. He was sitting up in the bed reading through a book and seeming alright, for now. Inwardly she breathed a sigh of relief. She'd have to go back in soon, before he started losing interest in the book. His attention span was becoming shorter and shorter. Soon he wouldn't be able to distract himself from Hyde anymore, and then the sociopath would have his way out.

Frozen

She was making something to eat for herself and for the doctor when Jekyll came out and watched quietly. "Do you need help?" he asked after a moment.

Louise turned curiously and smiled. "I would appreciate it, yes," she answered.

"Anything to keep my mind off of Hyde," Jekyll answered. He felt the counterpart near the surface. The transformation would be random, he knew, and sudden. The minute he felt it coming, he would send her off. He just… He wanted her company for now… Maybe it would help stave it off. He laid the remaining potions on the counter next to her. She looked at them curiously then turned to him with concern. "When I tell you to get out. Get out. As quickly as you can," he said. She felt her heart plummet. Oh no… After a moment, she nodded and turned back to her cooking. He helped her in silence. He knew how to cook, she noted. Impressive.

"Will anything I do help you fend him off?" she asked.

"No," Jekyll answered. "With luck, Hyde will still be here when the others return. It will make administering the serum much easier if he's still around to have it administered. I know your initial plan was to hide, but don't. He'll find you and he'll hurt you. There's no question of that… I would never be able to live with myself if he did." He paused, frowning and looking upwards. "You should go now." A chill shot down her spine. She didn't argue. Quickly grabbing up the serums, she ran. No sooner had she left the room when she heard his cry of pain. She stopped and almost wanted to go back before common sense kicked in and she realized how stupid that would be. Swiftly she went to the main lobby of the hotel. There was where it was safest. It was where most people would gather.

Frozen

The rest of the week passed by almost painfully slow. There was always the unspoken threat of Hyde and his random appearances and disappearances. They'd talked him into going to one of the Countess's parties and it had seemed to do Jekyll good. He had settled well, and the festivities had kept his mind off Hyde. Louise on his arm hadn't hurt much either. They'd had quite a time playing house. That night, though, Hyde had returned with a vengeance. Louise still shuddered to remember the look he had given her. And the way he'd stalked towards her. And the way he'd seized her by the throat before her brother and Hans had raced in and put a stop to it after a rough skirmish. Things, though, were not looking good. They were down to one serum vial and Jekyll had completely shut down. He would speak to no one, not even Louise who could generally get him to talk a bit. Right now, he wouldn't even look at her.

Hans was getting restless. What was taking his brother so long? They left tomorrow, all of them. Or were supposed to at least. Damn him if he left before this scheme either failed or was resolved. There was a knock at the door. Quickly Hans went to it and opened it up. His heart dropped. That wasn't his brother. "Hans Andersen?" the courier asked.

"Yes?" Hans asked.

"Your brother sends his regrets. He could not come," the courier said.

"What?!" Hans demanded furiously, eyes blazing. Quickly he stepped out of the hotel room, shutting the door. "What the hell is going on that he couldn't come?!"

"I-I don't know, sir! All I was told to do was bring you this with this note!" the frightened courier replied, shoving a potion bottle into Hans's hand and a letter. Hans stared in disbelief. "I'm sorry!" the courier blurted before beating a hasty retreat. Hans cursed under his breath and angrily opened the note, reading through it. A spreading disease? Wonderful. Just what they hadn't needed. He looked at the vial. Apparently, this would do the trick. If it didn't, it was Lars's own fault. God he hoped this worked… Jekyll couldn't go on like this. He'd told them about some friends of his who had been looking into his behavior, a lawyer and the lawyer's cousin among others. He'd said they were getting more determined to find out what was wrong with him and were starting to close in, so the sooner this was done, the better.

"Hans!" Carl urgently called, racing from his room. Hans looked over. "Jekyll's gone! So are Louise and Edvard!"

Hans started, eyes widening. "We have to get to Jekyll's lab. Now," Hans said. That's probably where the man had gone. If he was at the end of his wits and despairing, there was nothing that would hold him back from becoming Hyde for possibly the last time.

"Hans!" Harald exclaimed, appearing with a paper in his hand. "He left this! It's a confession, Hans. He's doomed himself and Hyde both! Hyde will end his own life rather than face justice like a man, and he'll take Jekyll with him!" Hans immediately raced out of the hotel and towards Jekyll's lab.

Frozen

"Don't, please don't," Louise pled through tears to the man. When Edvard had caught Jekyll slipping away, he had alerted her. They had trailed him back to his lab. On the way there, he had become Hyde. He'd let himself become Hyde. There was one more potion he'd had that could have stopped it, but he'd just given up, and that hurt far more than she'd expected it would. Hyde was who they now confronted. Dressed in Jekyll's lab coat, he was holding the final potion over the sink, ready to pour it out with a twisted smile on his face and a gun pointed evenly at them.

"You really don't understand this, do you? He's gone," Hyde replied. Or would be soon. "He was only a burden anyway." Calmly and casually he poured out the last of the serum. They could do nothing. If they'd tried, one or the other would have ended up shot.

"Bastard!" Edvard shot.

"You haven't beaten him, Edward, not yet!" Louise angrily screamed.

"It was him who chose not to take the potion that would have fended me off," Hyde answered calmly. "I think he was afraid for you, my lady. Such nightmares he had been having regarding the fate that was going to befall you at my hands… My only criticism? They weren't imaginative enough."

"Over my dead body!" Edvard snapped.

"Alright," Hyde replied, cocking the gun. Edvard immediately regretted speaking. Suddenly Hyde froze, frowning. He scowled darkly. "Stay down, you!" he roared viciously, dropping the empty potion bottle and holding his head with the now free hand. The worthless Jekyll had never fought so hard before, he knew. But ah well. Even if he should by some miracle take control again, it would be the last time he ever did. The serum was gone, and Jekyll was as good as his. "Give up already! Cut your suffering short! You'll die as you lived. Pathetically!"

"Henry!" Louise cried out fearfully. Oh please let him take control.

"Henry, help is coming! It's almost over. It will end in your favor if you just try!" Edvard pled. A bullet cracked and Edvard pulled Louise to the ground quickly. The siblings looked back at the bullet hole in the wall in shock, then turned to Hyde again.

"He's losing," Louise realized. "Don't give in, Henry, I beg you!" she pled, staggering up and moving towards him slowly.

"Louise, don't!" Edvard shouted.

She stopped, looking back at her brother. "Louise, do," Hyde said, sneering. "Just come a little closer, my lovely. See just how powerful his affection for you is." She looked back at Hyde but didn't move towards him again. "You're going to make me come over there and get you, aren't you?" Hyde cooed. Edvard quickly started to rise. "No, no, Mr. Collin. The gun is trained on you. You stand, you die. Who will protect your lovely sister then? Not that you'll be able to anyway, but at least this way you'll be alive to comfort her. If she survives."

Before either of them could move, Hyde had closed the distance between himself and Louise and had thrown her down onto a table, keeping the gun on her brother. "No!" Edvard exclaimed. Bullet be damned, he'd get that thing away from his sister if he died doing it!

Hyde suddenly cried out, holding his head. "Jekyll, damn you!" he shouted in a rage as he staggered back from Louise and fell to the ground. Louise quickly stood and went to her brother, pulling him to his feet. They watched fearfully as Hyde and Jekyll both seemed to waver between one and the other. For a moment there would be Jekyll, in a breath it would become Hyde, then Jekyll and Hyde until they feared he might have trapped himself in an eternal battle for possession of life, and they… they could do nothing for him…

Frozen

Hans raced up the stairs, leading the others to where he knew Jekyll's office to be. He threw open the door without hesitation and saw the man on the ground fighting a final battle, and Edvard and Louise watching. He gasped and raced to Jekyll Hyde, knocking him onto the ground. Hyde made a last-ditch attempt to take full control. Hans popped the cork on the potion bottle his brother had sent, and Jekyll took one last stand. While it was Jekyll who had the upper hand, he pushed the bottle into the man's mouth. This had better work. Jekyll Hyde drank it swiftly and cried out, throwing his head back on the ground. Then there was screaming as if from two separate voices, and a terrifying flash of light that had Hans staggering back and the rest closing their eyes.

When finally they looked back. It wasn't one man on the ground. It was two! Hans gasped. Yes, Mael yes! Though he had a suspicion Rhun had played a part too. They'd been fighting an amalgamation of science and magic, so it would have been the smart thing to do to have the best mind among them and the best mage having a go at the fix together, so 'yes Rhun, yes' as well. Harald gasped in relief. It had worked, it seemed. He hoped. He looked at the confession Jekyll had written then laid it on the desk for Hyde to find.

Jekyll, shaking, slowly began to rise. Hyde, growling, began to stand too. Quickly Edvard and Louise ran to Jekyll, pulling him up and away from Hyde. He sagged against them weakly. Hyde rose on his own and scowled towards them all. "Good luck with the rest of your very short life, friend," Hans growled to Hyde.

Hyde scowled, sharply looking towards the weakened Jekyll, then gave an outraged roar and lunged at him. "Don't even try!" Carl shot, racing in front of Hyde and taking the brunt of the tackle, fighting to hold the man down. Quickly Charles hurried to help him.

"Get Jekyll out of here!" Hans ordered. Quickly they did so. He looked towards Hyde, who'd been forced into subjection. "It's over. You're doomed. Jekyll has written his confession."

"Then he will hang too!" Hyde spat.

"No. He won't," Hans replied. He seized a decorative cane from Carl and struck Hyde in the head, knocking him unconscious. Charles and Carl gaped in shock.

"Uh… that seemed a bit extreme," Charles said.

"Sorry, got caught up in the moment," Hans replied, shrugging.

 _You got caught in exactly what you are, Wicked Prince._

Hans shoved away the thought. Yes, that had been an action more befitting the old him, but hey, sometimes the old ways were the best ways. "What do you plan?" Carl asked Hans as he and Charles got off Hyde.

"I'll figure something out," Hans replied. "Let's go back. Hyde's fate is his own now." And it wasn't a fate with a good outcome. Nodding, the others followed him and met up with Edvard, Louise, Harald, and Jekyll, who had fallen unconscious, outside…


	4. Announcement

Announcement

Elsa waited on the platform eagerly for his return. She grinned as the train came into view. She could hardly wait to ask him about his trip. She hoped he'd had a good time with his friends. The train soon reached the station and pulled to the stop. Its passengers disembarked and she scanned the crowds for her husband. She spotted him getting off the train, looking for her. He saw her and lit up, grinning. She grinned back and made her way quickly towards him. He wove his way through the crowds swiftly as well and caught her in his arms when they met, hugging her tightly. "Hey," he said to her.

"Hey," she replied, looking up at him softly. Gently she nuzzled his nose with her own, grinning, and held his hand firmly, leading him away from the station. "How was the trip?"

"It was amazing! Well, for the most part. There were a couple of… Anyway, I met so many talented artists there it was just unbelievable. I actually met Charles Dickens, Elsa. In the flesh! And was able to spend some days with him," he said.

"Oh wow, he's big, isn't he?" she said.

"Very. And apparently outside of Arendelle and the Southern Isles, so am I," Hans answered. "I had no idea my works had spread as far as they did. I heard tale of them cropping up even in the Americas."

"Are you kidding? That's amazing! You earned every bit of it, Hans. Your stories are wonderful," she said.

"Glad you think so," he answered. "But just my stories?"

"Their author is every bit as wonderful as they are," she replied.

"You're getting sickening, angel," he teased.

"The newly wedded bliss doesn't last forever. We might as well enjoy it while we can," she answered.

"Very true," Hans agreed. His expression became a bit more serious as they entered the carriage together. "How have things been going?"

"You mean with Xe," Elsa deduced. "They're going well, thus far. Nothing Meilic hasn't been able to handle, or Arendelle's navy."

"Good. With luck, it'll stay that way," he replied. He looked his wife over and smiled gently. "I've missed you," he said in a murmur.

She turned to him with an affectionate smile and pressed her lips gently to his, resting her fingertips on his cheek. Pulling back, she said, "I've missed you too. It's been lonely at night. It's strange how cold the bed feels now, when you're not there with me. I never noticed before."

"I wish I could say the same, but Harald's a subconscious cuddler. After the first couple times, I just rolled with it," Hans teased. Elsa giggled, covering her mouth. "I would much have preferred your company to his, though. It may have been warm, but it felt empty." He bent, kissing her again. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he kissed her a third time, a little more deeply, and leaned in to her.

"Mmm, Hans, really. Not here in the carriage," she said.

"Why not?" he asked, smirking. "I've missed these," he teased, tracing her breasts. She grinned as he kissed her neck, laying her back.

"We may be spotted, my love. Or heard," she protested, gently pushing him away.

"You really should soundproof this thing in that case," he answered, letting her sit up while giving a rueful sigh. The visuals could be taken care of by the curtains.

"I like keeping you in suspense," she answered teasingly. "Consider it revenge for all the times you drag things out so long that it's physical agony to wait for it. In only good, albeit cruel, ways."

"I like to savor the essence of you. Sue me," he answered.

"You also like making me tremble with anticipation," she replied. "And knowing you're the only man who ever will." He smiled ruefully and she frowned. "Don't even, Hans," she warned. He chuckled, turning away. She sighed, shaking her head. She knew he didn't believe her. He still thought he didn't deserve this. Any of it. She knew he didn't believe that he would be her only love. She intended to wipe that thought from his mind when they got home, she decided. She could make him forget such dark thoughts well and good indeed.

Frozen

The moment they were out of sight of the servants, she threw her arms around him and kissed him. He, at first startled, quickly caught onto what she was doing and wrapped his arms around her as they stumbled through the hallway and to their shared room. A brief fumble with the door and they were inside, shutting it tightly behind them. She deftly unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his body as she made her gown of ice disappear. She pushed him back onto the bed, kissing him adoringly as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He was about to remove his trousers when the door was knocked on. They froze, cringing, and glared at it in annoyance.

"Really?" she asked, covering her face.

"The job is never done," he replied, smirking at her in amusement. He pressed a kiss to her chest. "I'll get it," he said. And show them off as quickly as humanly possible so he and his wife could get back to other things. Elsa was in no state of dress to open the door. He barely was either, of course, but he was more covered than she was right now. She pulled the blankets up around her and watched him go to the door in curiosity.

Hans opened it up and started. Kai was there. "My Lord and Lady, I…" he trailed off on noticing Hans's state of undress and Elsa giving him a cold look. He flushed brightly. "Oh my," he said.

Hans sighed and stepped out, shutting the door. "What is it, Kai?" he asked in vague annoyance.

"My apologies, my lord. I was unaware you were… otherwise preoccupied," Kai said.

"Yeah. I got that. Now what did you come to say?" Hans asked.

"I just wished to inform the Queen that her sister is demanding to see her as soon as possible. She's quite excited about something or other. Kristoff has demanded to see you in turn. He's quite excited about something too. He babbled about bringing you to a pub and making some sort of announcement," Kai said.

"Tell them to wait a few hours," Hans said.

"Hours, sir?" Kai asked, obviously startled at this.

Hans smirked wickedly. "My wife and I are going to be preoccupied for quite a while," he said. Hey, she was in a mood. Who was _he_ to argue?

"Err, of course, sir," Kai said, flushing slightly. Quickly he turned, shuffling off. Hans chuckled and entered the room again.

"What did he want?" Elsa questioned.

"When we're done here you need to go see Anna and I need to go see Kristoff. It's nothing urgent, though, so…" he said. She smiled seductively and uncovered herself again. He went immediately to her, embracing her, and in not long they had commenced to the love-making.

Frozen

Elsa smoothed her dress and put her hair back in its braid properly. Hans watched her from the bed, smiling in appreciation. "You'd best hurry and get ready to go meet Kristoff, Hans," she said.

"I will," Hans replied. "But right now, I'm enjoying this."

She smiled, looking back at him with a wink. She returned to the bed and kissed him once more. "I'll see you later," she said.

"I should hope so," he answered. "We are, after all, married." She chuckled then left the room to find Anna. Hans smiled then rose to get ready to meet Kristoff for whatever night on the town he had planned out. He needed to take the time to figure out how to present a certain proposition to Elsa anyway. He'd have to stop by and see said proposition before reaching the tavern, he decided.

Frozen

"Anna?" Elsa said, knocking on her sister's door.

Almost immediately it was opened to a radiant looking Anna. "Elsa, guess…" she began. She trailed off, looking her sister over, then smirked mischievously at her. "Wild few hours, huh?" she said. Elsa flushed. She didn't know how Anna always seemed to know, but she must have some kind of 'tell' she didn't know about that gave away whenever she bedded her husband. At least to her sister.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Elsa replied. "Now, you were saying?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. Elsa, guess what?" Anna said, lighting up again with a grin and pulling her sister into her room.

"What? What is it?" Elsa asked, dying of curiosity at this point.

Anna took a deep breath. "I think I'm pregnant!" her sister blurted out.

Elsa caught her breath. "What? No way! Anna, really?!" she exclaimed, grinning widely and taking her sister's hands in her own excitedly, entwining her fingers through Anna's.

"Yes! I haven't bled this month and I've been getting sick in the mornings, so I must be!" Anna exclaimed. "I mean I haven't gotten it confirmed by a doctor, I'm a little scared to, but yes!"

"That's so wonderful! Oh Anna, I'm so excited for you!" Elsa exclaimed, wrapping her sister in a big hug. "You're going to be a _great_ mom!"

"I hope so," Anna said, grinning and practically hopping up and down in excitement.

"Is that what Kristoff is telling Hans?" Elsa asked.

"Yep. And Erik and Francis and the Duke of Weselton. Kristoff talked them all into going with him and Hans to the tavern. Some celebratory thing I guess," Anna answered. "Kind of unsure how the Duke will react, though. He's not exactly Kristoff's biggest fan."

"He's not anyone's biggest fan," Elsa replied, hopelessly and affectionately rolling her eyes. "He's a very opinionated and stubborn old man, but I doubt he could ever begrudge this. He'll probably dote on you to no end."

"I know," Anna said, grinning fondly. "Once you get passed the fist impressions of the weasely coward and dig a bit deeper, papa's not such a bad guy."

"Come on, let's tell Gerda and Kai about this then try and find a doctor to check you over. If he confirms it, we're immediately sending a letter to Rapunzel and Eugene," Elsa said.

"Definitely," Anna agreed, hurrying after her sister.

Frozen

"So, what's with the guy's night out?" Hans asked, looking disdainfully around the tavern. He'd never liked places like this. He'd brought his sailors to them often, for some reason the men loved it, but he'd never been a fan. Erik and Francis's presence was making it more tolerable, though. Of course, that was partially offset by the Duke's attendance. The old man was busy huffing and giving 'in my day' speeches every chance he got or whenever he spotted something that annoyed him.

"I invited you all here because I have an announcement to make," Kristoff replied.

"Speak up then, boy," the Duke of Weselton insisted, sipping his brandy.

"Anna might be pregnant!" Kristoff exclaimed. The Duke spewed out the brandy in shock.

"Good man, Kristoff!" Erik said with a laugh, clapping the ice harvester on the back.

"No woman more deserving of such a blessing! And no man as fortunate as you to call her the mother of your child," Francis agreed.

"Anna is what?!" the Duke exclaimed.

"Pregnant, dear Duke. That means…" Hans began, grinning.

"Don't patronize me, whelp, or I'll take you over my knee here and now age be damned!" the Duke threatened. Hans bit his tongue, backing down. That was the last thing he needed right now. Imagine the news stories _that_ would bring.

"Sir, I know you don't exactly consider me deserving of Anna given her status versus mine, but…" Kristoff began.

"Bah, class be damned. If my surrogate daughter is happy I can put aside my general disdain for you to support her through it," the Duke replied.

"You're too kind, sir," Kritoff bluntly replied.

"I am, aren't I?" the Duke said. Kristoff gave Hans a 'wow' look. Hans just smirked, rolling his eyes. So, Kristoff and Anna were going to be parents… He was, well, kind of jealous, actually. Hans cringed slightly, sipping at the drink he'd selected as his mind began to swirl with various thoughts that he'd never wanted to show up but couldn't help but present themselves after this announcement.

Frozen

Elsa sat in her robe removing her makeup as they got ready for bed that night, humming a happy tune. She was so glad for Anna! And also kind of, well, she wouldn't say jealous, but it was something like that? She wasn't sure _what_ she was feeling. Maybe… maybe curious was the word. Shaking her head, she put it out of mind and focused on humming again as she took off the last bit of the makeup. Rising, she undid her robe and hung it up before selecting a nightgown to wear. The door opened just as she slipped it on and she looked over. Hans was back, looking thoughtful. She smiled at him. "Late night. Wow," she said.

"Yeah, well, had to help the Duke play chaperone to a drunk Kristoff, Erik, and Francis," Hans answered. "Poor fool is going to get an earful from Anna tomorrow. She was less than impressed when I brought him back inebriated, but I told her he was celebrating the news and she decided she'd let it go for tonight."

"As long as he's not a dangerous drunk," Elsa said, frowning. Her sister's safety was her top priority.

"Nah, he wasn't that far gone anyway," Hans answered. "More tipsy than full blown drunk. Now Erik and Francis? They _were_ drunk. Big time… Think it was a mix of both happiness for Kristoff and grief for, well, you know."

"Their lovers and Francis's daughter," Elsa said, nodding solemnly. She could see how grief could hit them as hard as happiness had with that kind of announcement. "I hope they'll be okay."

"They will be. They're tough," Hans answered. "Enough," he added as an afterthought.

Elsa nodded and went to the bed, crawling under the covers and watching as Hans got ready for bed. She liked to watch him, especially when he ended up outlined in the moonlight. There was a sort of beauty to it. Soon he joined her under the blankets and she rolled over onto her side, back to him. "Goodnight," she said.

"Night," he replied. For a while there was silence. She found she was having a bit of trouble sleeping, but wasn't sure why. "Have you thought about the whole family thing?" Hans suddenly asked.

She was quiet. After a moment, she rolled over to face him. "Why? Have you?" she asked.

"I asked first," Hans answered.

Elsa was quiet. "I… Yes? I mean, not a lot, but just… Every so often the thought comes to mind, you know. I don't really think on it long, it's… really more just this fleeting idea, and then I kind of forget it until it crosses my mind again," she said. "I-I mean it's not like there's a rush, right?"

"No! No, of course not. We've only been married half a year, after all," Hans said. Though given Anna and Kristoff had only been married about that same amount of time before deciding they wanted a baby, that wasn't really much of a valid argument. "I mean, we have a good few years ahead of us yet before we need to seriously consider starting a family."

Elsa was quiet. "I guess," she soon answered. "Do you… _want_ to wait a few years?"

It was Hans's turn to be quiet. The fact he was thinking his answer over so intently told her that either no, he didn't, or he wanted to wait a lot longer than a few years… Namely never... "For a while, at least," he soon answered. He didn't specify how long. He turned to face her. "Look, it's not my place to decide when or even if we should start a family, Elsa. Whenever you're ready, I'll… consider it."

"Consider?" she asked, damning her voice for sounding slightly disappointed.

"I… I won't pretend I haven't ever thought about having a child, I won't pretend I don't want one, but…" he began. He trailed off. "Ultimately I want that call to be yours. I mean, _I'm_ not going to be the one going through hormone hell before having to push out another human being from my nether regions when the time comes."

She couldn't help but laugh a little at the blunt way he'd presented the scenario. "True enough," she replied, grinning. "Though I suppose that really there's no way to prevent it other than eating foods that don't promote conception, or doing the intimate thing during periods of time where the chances of it are low." Her smile fell. "But… that isn't what you were going to say first, is it?"

He was quiet. After a moment, he answered, "I think… For me, personally, if it happens it happens. I just… hope it doesn't happen for a while." Or ever. Not because he didn't want it, _she_ probably wanted it less than _he_ did, but… There was a reason, okay?!

She frowned curiously. "You seem… scared," she remarked. "Is something wrong?"

"Hmm, no, no, it's… I'm tired. Can we not talk about this anymore?" Hans said.

"Hans…" Elsa began, sensing something was off.

"Goodnight, Elsa," he replied, turning his back on her again. She watched him confusedly for a moment before sighing and laying back down. If he didn't want to talk, she wouldn't press him. Closing her eyes, she was soon asleep. Him, not so much.

Frozen

He was distracted she noted the next morning during breakfast. She hoped it wasn't because of their talk last night. "Hans, what's wrong?" she asked finally.

Hans grimaced, shifting slightly. "I… haven't told you everything about what happened in London," he soon answered. She looked a moment uneasy, it was no secret London's prostitutes weren't exactly well-hidden, but she couldn't see him doing anything like that to her… Not that she couldn't be wrong…

"Oh?" she asked, voice sounding a little more insecure than she'd wanted it to.

He looked confused then started. "No! Nothing like that!" he quickly said. "Just… It's kind of a long story. Um, we're short a palace physician, aren't we?" he said.

"Yes," she answered, raising an eyebrow. She and Anna hadn't been able to find one for the life of them last night. She'd planned to remedy that effective immediately. Where was Hans going with this, and what did it have to do with London and something he hadn't told her?

"I found one," he said, grinning innocently. "In London. His name is Henry Jekyll. He's-he's really, really good. I mean _really_ good." To combine magic and science in one concoction even unwittingly took some serious skill. "Well, he's both a science doctor and a medical doctor, but yeah. Two for the price of one, right? He had quite an established practice there."

"Had? What happened?" Elsa asked.

"That's… the part I haven't told you," he answered. With that, he began to tentatively and carefully spin the tale as best he could to Elsa, who listened in shock.

When he finished filling her in, she stared at him in disbelief. "I thought you said your vacation was good!" she finally blurted out. It was supposed to be a nice safe trip to get away from it all, not the entrance into another mirror horror story!

"It was! It was just a couple days that got away from us, but it was good otherwise!" Hans replied. "London's quite the place. Anyway, with his confession and everything he couldn't very well stay there and be hung or killed with Edward Hyde, so I… kind of… offered to let him come here…?"

"Wait, what?" Elsa asked.

"Alright, you want blunt, I'll give you blunt. He decided I all but owned him for everything I'd done to help him, and he took it upon himself to offer to be my slave forevermore. I told him I had no interest in owning a slave. He told me he desired to put himself in my service, besides his only prospect in London was death, so I told him that if he felt he owed me so much and wouldn't take no for an answer, that he could come back with me to Arendelle because we were short on physicians. He asked me if I trusted him with that, I told him I did, his evil personality was no longer part of him, but that you might be a different matter. I told him I'd speak to you about it and let him know when I could, and that until then he could stay in the hotel," Hans said. Besides, Robert Stevenson had wanted to know how the case ended, and the hotel was as good a place as any for Jekyll to spin the boy the story in a letter. He'd felt in sound enough mind to write the kid.

Frozen

Elsa was quiet a long moment. Hans didn't try to speak further, just waited. "I supposed you'd keep him stashed away in that hotel even if I said no?" Elsa asked.

"Did you purposely make that sound creepy?" he answered.

She started then smirked in amusement. "You're jaded, aren't you?" she teased. It hadn't meant to come out creepy, but in retrospect it had sounded weird for sure. She thought a moment. "You're sure this 'Hyde' part of him is gone?" she asked.

"Not one-hundred percent certain, yet, but fast approaching it," Hans answered. "I propose a trial period. If nothing happens for a few months, maybe a year, it can be safely assumed there's nothing more left of Hyde inside of him. As far as I'm concerned, he's safe, but I'm not the only one here."

"And he has nowhere else to go?" Elsa asked.

"No," Hans answered. "Well, Edvard Collin's sister expressed interest in their housing him, but Edvard was against it."

"Why?" Elsa asked.

"Because he might very well be her first actually serious prospect in a long time," Hans answered. "And he was _certainly_ interested in her against his better judgement."

"Then why not? As you say, we _do_ need a physician," Elsa said. The sooner the better too, if Anna was pregnant. That would be his first task, she decided, to figure that out.

He smiled at her. "You're gracious, my lady queen," he murmured to her.

"You suck up," she teased, grinning. "Bring him here. He'll be welcome." Hans smiled, nodding to her.


	5. Window Into the Day to Day

Window Into the Day to Day

(A/N: Glimpses into their lives, simple and pure. Kind of jumps scenes, but it covers a period of a few month of relative peace and adjustment, so yeah.)

Two weeks had passed since Jekyll's becoming the palace physician. All seemed well, Elsa noted. He was exchanging letters with Louise, but nothing serious yet. He believed himself too old for her anyway. She was still a girl in early twenties. He was around the forties or fifties range, she wasn't sure. He'd never actually told anyone his age. He was incredibly sensitive about it. The first thing Elsa had tasked him with, true to her word, was finding out whether Anna was actually pregnant. It had taken him all of two days to declare it to be so, and letters had been immediately sent to Rapunzel and Eugene amongst other friends and relatives. She quite liked the man. He was a kind, respectful, intelligent, and always considerate. She had a hard time believing anything like Hyde could ever have been a part of him, though she knew it was so. While things seemed good on the Jekyll end, the servants had been very welcoming to him you see, on the Hans end, it was apparent it was anything but…

Elsa listened in silent fury, mouth agape in disbelief and eyes narrowed, as a man stood in her husband's face cursing him out for crimes he'd never committed. She was infuriated, putting it mildly. They didn't know she was nearby, of course, if they did the man wouldn't have dared spoken, so she was glad she'd gone undetected, because otherwise she never would have heard these accusations. "I've never struck my wife ever!" Hans shot angrily at the man. "And I _certainly_ didn't force her to marry me! If anything, I did everything in my power to _keep_ her from doing so!"

"We know what you are, Prince of the Southern Isles. You and all your brothers," the subject sneered.

"You know one side of the story," Hans replied with a sneer possibly more scathing than the man's. "What, you want a confession? Yeah, I'm not the nicest guy around and never was. Yeah, I did a lot of horrible things. Never, though, have I tried to abuse the queen much less force myself on her! And what place do you have to even speak of things like this, you stupid…?" Hans trailed off and took a deep breath, attempting to calm down. He'd taken note of the man suddenly looking a bit fearful, which meant he was showing shades of his monstrous side that he wanted to squash. "Don't test me, my friend. I'm not an enemy you want to make," he finished dangerously, when he was sure his voice would be calmer.

"And here you are, threatening her subjects. Oh, she picked a winner in _you_ ," the man said.

"There's a threat, then there's a warning. Don't turn my warning into a threat," Hans darkly said.

"If she could hear you now, chameleon prince," the man said.

"Oh, I have little doubt she's hearing me fine. And it she is, then let her know, now, that if ever you end up in front of the throne accused of some crime, no matter how small, you'd best be tried by her rather than me. See, one thing I haven't quite been able to shake yet is the habit of holding grudges," Hans said, turning angrily from the man and storming away. Elsa cringed and went worriedly after him. He was always in a funk or bad mood after arguments like that.

Frozen

"Hans!" she called. He paused, glancing over at her, and sighed, waiting. Soon she was there. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he answered. "Just… just a little tired of constantly being accused of things I didn't do. I mean I've done plenty without false crimes needing to be heaped onto the pile as well."

"They'll accept you in time," she assured, linking her arm through his as she guided him back towards the palace. "Most already have."

"I know," he answered. "I'm not really so offended with the accusations against me as much as I'm worried about _your_ reputation."

"My reputation is the best it's ever going to get. It's your turn to worry about _yourself_ ," she answered.

"I'll be okay, love," he assured. Though he was now acutely aware of the eyes watching them and the whispers that were happening behind their backs. And the looks of pity many were giving Elsa. He half expected something to be thrown at him from a particularly disgusted looking vendor. She seemed unconvinced by his words, but let it go. "So… you're on your way to accompany another merchant vessel soon, aren't you?"

"Yes. Another few days of hearing my men making lewd remarks about what they'd like to do to you, suggesting I should let one of them stay here and take care of you while I'm gone, hinting I should bring you on one of these voyages, and or saying I should let you help guard the ships for once," Hans said, rolling his eyes. "Seriously, why does everyone want to sleep with my wife?"

"Because your wife is gorgeous, rich, gracious, and powerful?" Elsa teased, smirking at him.

"That she is," he replied, returning the smirk.

"By the way, same answer for why everyone seems to want to sleep with my husband," she said.

"I wouldn't say I'm gracious, but the rest? Yeah," Hans replied.

She chuckled. "Behave yourself when you're away from me," she said, turning to him and draping her arms over his shoulders the moment they came into the privacy of the palace. Well, relative privacy.

"As if I could be bothered with anyone but you," he replied, grinning gently at her. He kissed her softly.

Though her smile remained, her eyes filled with concern. "Be safe out there," she said.

"I will be," he promised. Drawing away from her, he went to prepare for the short trip.

Frozen

"You know, my lady, if that man was anyone else I'd be warning you to keep an eye on how often he leaves," Kai, who had been nearby, remarked, smiling at Elsa.

"Good to know not everyone hates him," Elsa said.

"My lady, most all of us in the castle have grown quite fond of the young prince. He does right by us. And those who flap their lips are generally young ladies probably seething in their own jealousy and wishing he _were_ the sort that would cheat on you. Really now, you must catch the looks they give him when he passes by," Kai teased.

"Oh, I do," Elsa wryly replied. Luckily for Hans, and probably her too, he did a good job at pretending he didn't notice. And sometimes he really _was_ just that oblivious to it. _She_ definitely wasn't, though. She looked at Kai. "So, he treats you all well, then?"

"With more respect than I would have expected from an heir of the Southern Isles," Kai answered.

"You realize, of course, that's quite a vague and low bar?" Elsa teased.

Kai smiled at her. "He's a good man, and ensures we're treated well and dealt with fairly enough. For the most part. There have, admittedly, been some clashes."

"Clashes?" Elsa curiously asked, frowning. Hans hadn't mentioned anything to her.

"Generally they are with the servants who are of the minority that believe his means for getting you to marry him weren't entirely honorable. Or with servants whose personalities just don't mesh with his. The former results in occasional disrespect on the part of the servants, and an occasional lashing out at him which requires guard intervention or his drawing a sword with a neat and tidy little threat to remind them about just who he is and what he's capable of. The latter results in some quite amusing and humorous sass, and every so often insults, on both parts."

Elsa laughed lightly. She could only imagine the snarky remarks the flew back and forth in those cases. Hans certainly wasn't slow of wit, and she had some quick witted servants who could probably more or less keep up. "And I suppose some undeserved prison time as well?" she said.

"He can be petty," Kai replied wryly.

"He shares the trait with a good few of his brothers," Elsa said, rolling her eyes affectionately. "Do they begrudge him the prison time?"

"They fume, but don't begrudge. Every time he doesn't touch some portion of his food or drink, you can well assume he had it out with the cook," Kai said. Elsa laughed. "He treats the stable master with something that almost amounts to favoritism. He wants to be certain Sitron is well taken care of, I think, and in return the stable master probably likes _him_ more than he likes _you_."

"No doubt," Elsa replied. She was well aware Hans treated the stable master with kid gloves. Her husband was very cautious and paranoid right now, in the early stages of adjusting to life in the palace. It would probably keep up until he settled in and the servants started to treat him with a bit more honor instead of accusing him of every crime under the sun. Her smile fell. "I worry about him," she admitted. "How… how safe is he here, Kai?"

"You think any one of us could take on Admiral Westergaard in any form of combat at all?" Kai bluntly answered. "I would be more concerned with how safe your _servants_ are. From themselves, not him."

Elsa grimaced. "Can you get me a list of names so I can have a talk with them?" she asked.

"Of course, my lady," Kai answered, bowing to her.

"Thank you, Kai," she answered.

"Anything for you, my dear Elsa," he replied, smiling and heading off to assemble the list. She grinned after him then went to find Hans, who was either currently chatting up the stable master, or finishing up his preparations for the short trip.

Frozen

Hans left off talking to the stable master, the two of them laughing, and turned around to see Elsa approaching. He grinned at her as the stable master went off to prepare the horse. "I think the stable master may be among my biggest rivals for your affections. Right up there with Jekyll and Kai," she teased. Given Jekyll felt he owed his life to Hans, and technically was Hans's employee not hers, that affection was self-explanatory. As to Kai, Kai had taken quite a shine to Hans, and Hans in turn favored him about as much as he favored the stable master. He was often seen in the butler slash steward's company.

"He's a good guy," Hans said.

"And easily pleased," Elsa said, noting with slight distaste the bottles of alcohol spread around. Hans grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"At least he's a happy drunk?" he offered lamely.

"Mmm hmm, because _that's_ a wonderful excuse," she said, smirking amusedly at him. "Any recent clashes with the cook?"

Hans started then bitterly frowned. "Fire him please," he deadpanned. "And while you're at it, fire the gardener too."

"I would have thought you'd like the gardener," she replied, smiling.

"He calls me whippersnapper," Hans deadpanned. "And hits me with various gardening tools the minute I start asking questions, telling me children should be seen and not heard."

Elsa giggled. "He's an old and ornery fellow, for sure," she admitted with a grin.

"And you thought I'd get along with him why?" Hans asked, unimpressed.

She shrugged. "He's intelligent. Can carry on a good conversation if you catch him in a good mood. He loves to read and really likes your stories," she said.

"Liking my stories isn't the same as liking me," Hans replied. "Even the cook likes one or two of my tales, and I can promise you this, I am _not_ his favorite person. I'll stick to the stable master and Kai, thank you very much."

"Do the valet and the crier treat you well?" she asked.

"I doubt the crier treats _anyone_ well. He respects me, he'll follow my orders, but that's about it," Hans replied.

"He's a tough one to crack," Elsa wryly agreed. "I don't think even _I'm_ in his good books yet. He loved father very much. They were close friends despite their stations."

Hans nodded. "The valet seems fine, but I can't tell what he thinks of me so I'm kind of wary right now," he said.

"Now how do the female staff treat you?" she asked, tone very obviously slightly unimpressed.

Hans smirked. "You're jealous, my lady queen," he said. "Gerda's wonderful, so are most of the older ones. The younger they get the more flirty they seem to be, if they approve of me. The ones that don't approve of me? Yeah, let's just say I tend to avoid them like the plague. They aren't shy about showing their disdain and disgust. None of your servants who dislike me are shy about it."

"Look at it this way, if my servants believed you were as bad as they originally thought, it wouldn't be you avoiding them," Elsa said.

"It's not. Always. Sometimes they avoid me too," Hans admitted. "I think a good few of them are scared of me, and the ones who aren't are just plain spiteful. I'm watching them for any attempt at assassination, frankly." He paused, looking up and frowning. She glanced away. This was going to take a dark turn very quickly. "I _will_ kill them if they try, Elsa," he said. She cringed. There it was. The dark turn.

"They won't," she assured. "And if they do, at least _try_ to catch them alive. Please. If you get into a position where your options are bleak at best, do what you have to, to keep yourself alive. But if there's a chance you can get out alive and them too, take it."

"I'll do my best," he said.

Elsa was quiet a moment, watching the stable hand bring over Sitron. "Have… have you been threatened? Or felt threatened?"

"Felt, but not been. Not directly or seriously," Hans answered. "Maybe it's just paranoia, but… Well, paranoia has saved the princes of the Southern Isles before."

She nodded, making a mental note to investigate the matter. She wanted him to feel safe here. Safer than he'd ever felt behind the dark walls of the castle on the Isles. "Have a good trip, love," she said.

"I will," he replied, taking Sitron's reigns. He kissed her then mounted the steed, riding away. He never said goodbye, she noted. He rarely did, if the trip he was taking was short. She hated each time that he didn't, because what if the ship sank? What if he was killed? She didn't like the idea of not having said goodbye. Sighing, she turned and entered the castle again.

Frozen

As Hans had expected, not even three hours into the voyage remarks were being made about Elsa. He shook his head in annoyance. He'd been given his favored ship from the Southern Isles as a wedding gift. It was his now, to take with him to Arendelle. His regular crew, however, had had families of their own and so he couldn't take them with him. This was a crew from Arendelle. He was still adjusting to them, and they to him. To his chagrin, his first mate was no fan of his. In fact, the man seemed to go out of his way to get under his skin on a regular basis. But the guy was the best damn sailor among the seamen that he called his own now, and no one was more fit to the position than he was.

"Still refusing to bring along your bride, your highness?" the mate questioned.

"As if I'd subject her to the lewd remarks of you men," Hans answered.

"No more lewd than you probably utter to her in bed," the mate said.

"I don't do the dirty talk thing. Not my style. Or hers for that matter," Hans replied. "You're supposed to treat the people you love with the deepest respect, and frankly it seems less than respectful to pull that stunt. Not to mention a bit childish and based more in lust! But then that's my own opinion of it."

"And how," the mate answered flatly. Hans rolled his eyes with a sigh. Well _this_ would be a fun voyage, he dryly told himself. Not. He looked back towards Arendelle. He almost wished she was there. He'd forgotten to say goodbye, he recalled. Dammit. She didn't like it when he didn't say goodbye. Some personal thing with her regarding 'what if' scenarios. He'd constantly tried to reassure her, but after the deaths of her parents at sea… Enough said.

 _Dearest Elsa,_

 _I realized I had forgotten to say goodbye to you. Allow me to remedy that now. Goodbye, my love. I'll see you soon._

 _For Eternity,_

 _Hans_

Frozen

"Prince Hans, you seem very distant, lately," Kai remarked as he walked with the prince through the palace a few days after the young man's return.

"Hmm? Oh. That. Yeah. Just… rough adjustment period," he said.

"What happened _this_ time?" Kai asked, frowning worriedly at the young man and entering something of a dad mode that he reserved specifically for Hans.

"It's nothing, Kai. Nothing I haven't heard or told myself before," Hans replied.

"If someone has voiced _any_ of the things you tell yourself, there's a big problem," Kai said. The boy was far from kind to himself.

Hans frowned. "Thanks a lot," he replied.

"You must admit, your majesty, that you're your own worst enemy," Kai said.

"Maybe," Hans said. "I just overheard some things. Titles such as monster were thrown about, a few insults and curses… It'll pass."

"What did they say, Hans?" Kai asked.

"Nothing I haven't told _myself_ ," Hans replied.

"And what have you told yourself?" Kai pressed.

"You're not gonna drop this, are you?" Hans asked, frowning.

"Not even if you order it," Kai answered, catching the musing look in the prince's—well, king-consort now—eyes.

Hans shook his head. "They were talking about Anna's pregnancy. How lucky she is and how fortunate Kristoff will be. They were saying no woman deserves it more and they were right… And then they got to talking about Elsa," he said. Kai cringed. He already wasn't liking where this was going.

Frozen

 _"When do you think the Queen will conceive?" a footman asked._

 _"I pray not as long as that monster is her husband," another answered. "Could she even bear to carry his child if the stories are true?"_

 _"The key word is 'if'," a maid pointed out, frowning. "He seems perfectly nice."_

 _"He seemed perfectly nice when he first came to Arendelle too," a midwife argued. "That man does not deserve the honor of being a father, let alone a father to our queen's child. I can only imagine the horror that baby would become under that thing's tutelage."_

 _"Enough! You're being cruel," a third footman stated firmly. "The king-consort is a good man!"_

 _"You must have a very skewed view of 'good' if you believe so," the second footman stated._

 _"He's treated us with nothing but respect barring a few clashes here and there. He sees we're well off and treated decently, and he's stood up for us before. How can you say that?" the maid, who had taken the prince's side, demanded._

 _"He wears his masks well," the midwife stated. "That's all any of us need to know to realize he's a lie. Dying would be a mercy for any child born of that man, and should the queen ever be laden with that burden inside of her, I hope she gets rid of it either immediately after it's born or before without letting him know it existed."_

Frozen

Kai was silent on hearing this. That was a very, very serious thing to say. It was almost a thinly veiled threat. The midwife's implication had been clear. Her intensions, though she might believe they were decent, were wicked. Given what her position was, the fact she could even _consider_ letting an infant die because of who its father was, was a very dangerous thing. It meant that Hans's assumption about potential assassination may be right, but his belief that _he'd_ be the victim was wrong in the most horrible of ways. Elsa had told him and Gerda of Hans's hesitance when the topic of starting a family had come up. If he hadn't been scared off the idea before, he was certainly getting to that point now. And this talk about a monster like him not deserving a child… Kai would go out on a limb and say that that was at least part of the reason Hans had avoided the topic. Given Hans's past, the way he was raised, his brothers, his own violent tendencies, it was little surprise the young man doubted his ability to be a decent father of any sort. He'd never had any role model worth following or any parent he could learn from. His mother had tried, he knew, but she had only been able to do so much given her condition. Still, if Hans truly wanted to be a parent, would his uncertainties about himself really be enough to stop him from taking the risk? It wasn't as if the Princes of the Southern Isles were averse to risks. Maybe it would, but he had a feeling there was another reason for the reluctance, though he wouldn't pry.

"You will make a great father one day, my liege," Kai said.

"Monsters don't make good fathers," Hans answered.

"Fortunate you're not one, then," Kai said. "Hans, we all have a monstrous side within us. It's our own choice whether to give into it or fight it. You may be more inclined to let it out, but that's hardly your fault so much as it was the fault of your environment."

"And the shards," Hans deadpanned. Kai was quiet. Yes… The shards. He shook his head. He'd almost forgotten those.

"You're dealing with them far better than most could," Kai assured.

"Maybe," Hans answered, looking towards the throne room and pausing before entering. Another day of judgements and politics. Goody. No, really, goody. He liked the challenge. Usually.

For a moment, there was silence. "What's on the agenda today?" Kai soon questioned.

"Holding court, mainly," Hans answered. "After lunch, I believe there's going to be some political talk, discussion of trade agreements and the like, probably forming ties with other lands to increase Arendelle's list of contacts and partners. A few foreign dignitaries have written, expressing desire to see Arendelle and determine its worth to them. A lot of good impressions will need to be made in future, so I'm keeping an eye on that. Cultural differences can be tricky to navigate."

"You and Queen Elsa will be quite busy, I see," Kai said.

"Very," Hans replied.

"You really should take her someplace quiet and peaceful, after you're finished up," Kai said.

"Yeah, I should. I'll talk to her about it," Hans replied. "Thank you, Kai."

"Of course, my liege. And… if I may be so bold, tell Elsa of what happened between the footmen, the maid, and the midwife. She needs to know, Hans. She wants nothing more than for you to feel safe here," Kai said.

"I do, Kai, I do… Mostly… At least safer than I ever felt back on the Southern Isles," Hans assured. "But I'll talk to her anyway."

"Be sure you do," Kai said. Hans smiled, nodding, and entered the throne room to join Elsa, already seated.

Hans sat next to Elsa and covered her hand gently, smiling at her. She smiled back then frowned curiously. "Are you alright? You seem distracted," she said to him.

"I'm fine, nightingale. We'll talk about it later, okay?" Hans said.

"So, it _is_ something," she said.

"Yeah… But it's not important right now, okay? Let's get this show on the road, shall we?" he said. She smiled, nodding, and motioned for the doors to be opened.

Frozen

The King and Queen sat on their thrones, attentively listening to the cases presented to them. Some of them were ridiculously bland. Others were more interesting, but not overmuch. Hans was torn between loving it and being a little freaked out by it. On the Southern Isles, when court was held it was nasty. And dark and difficult. A challenge, maybe, but not necessarily the type of challenge you wanted. He very much liked the peaceful state of Arendelle. He didn't feel like he had to sleep with one eye open here. Generally… Was kind of habit at this point, but hopefully one he could break? Or not. He'd almost liked the tension back on the Isles, and the paranoia. It kept him sharp, plus it meant there was always someone he could lash out at or unleash his pent-up fury on who probably actually deserved it. Here, not so much. It was way harder to deal with tension here. More than once he'd been afraid he'd end up hurting someone who didn't deserve it…

"Is there going to be nothing actually worth reviewing in your court?" he finally, and restlessly, muttered to his wife under his breath.

"Hans," she warned, frowning at him. "It might be paltry to us…" she began.

"And everyone," he cut off flatly.

She frowned at him, but inwardly she agreed. "But it's important to them. Otherwise they wouldn't come," he said.

"They come because they need to pick up their daily dose of gossip to spread," Hans replied. "This must be the tamest day we've had yet."

"And that's bad?" she asked.

"No, it's great. But dull," he answered, smiling.

She rolled her eyes affectionately. "Come on. Let's go for lunch," she suggested, rising and taking his hands, pulling him up.

"Lead the way," he replied.

Frozen

As they walked, Elsa asked, "What happened that had you so distracted this morning?"

"Oh. Yeah. That," he answered, not quite meeting her eyes. "Just some harsh words from a few of your servants spoken behind my back. Or so they thought."

"What words?" she pressed.

"You really want to discuss this now?" he asked.

"I do, as a matter of fact," she replied. He sighed and relented, telling her the whole story. She listened, eyes wide in shock and disbelief. When he finished, she said, "Hans, I'm so sorry. I'll talk to them and make sure they know they're never to talk about you like that again!"

"Let them talk, Elsa. It's within their right. It bothers me, but it'll pass. I hope," he said.

"What that midwife said was not okay, especially given her position!" That woman's job was to help deliver children safely regardless of whose they were, so that she had said what she had... It was concerning. "She had no place doing that," Elsa stated.

"Didn't she, nightingale?" Hans asked.

"Excuse me?" Elsa asked.

"Never mind," he replied, quickly covering the self-loathing remark. He really didn't want to deal with that.

"I mind," she firmly said.

"Snow Queen, let me work this out alone, okay? Please," Hans said.

"Hans…" she began.

"Elsa," he cut off firmly. She started then bit her lower lip in frustration. "It'll be okay, I promise. We have to eat and then prepare for the foreign dignitaries. I think that's more important than some gossiping servants, don't you?"

"We're not done here," she seriously stated.

He smirked. "I know," he replied. At least, though, she'd back off for a while.

Frozen

They lay by the pond in the garden that night, gazing up at the dazzling stars and taking some times to themselves. "Girl or boy, do you think? For Anna's baby?" Elsa asked.

"Hmm… Girl," Hans answered.

"Why do you think so?" Elsa asked.

"I don't know. Just a guess," Hans answered. "Hey, fifty-fifty shot either way, right?"

"Yeah," Elsa replied, smiling. "Guess if you put it that way. Unless you factor in genetics, the I suppose a girl is more likely. The women in our family tend to give birth to more girls that boys. Are you excited?"

"I have… or had… over a dozen nieces and nephews. Another one isn't going to be that huge of a deal to me, I hate to say," Hans said.

"I'm sorry. About your nieces and nephews," she gently said. It was a very… touchy subject for the prince. Aaron levels of touchy. Hans was quiet. Sorry wouldn't bring them back, they all knew that, but it was all she believed she could offer - he wouldn't have minded questions about them though - so he couldn't begrudge her for trying. "Your brothers… how are they?" Well, it wasn't the sort of question that pertained to the children directly, but it worked.

"It's been hard for all of us… On the grieving fathers, most of all…" Hans said. "Knowing that Jürgen's family got to live and so many of theirs didn't… They don't begrudge Meilic, of course, just… it's so painful for them…"

"I can't even imagine," Elsa answered. "I take it Rhun hasn't let his last daughter out of his sight?"

"I pity the poor man who tries to court her when she comes of age," Hans deadpanned. "And Caleb barely lets _his_ remaining children out of the castle. I'm hoping it doesn't turn into their prison, but I guess right now none of them are inclined to leave. They're stuck to their father like glue. They're still badly shaken up and deep in mourning… I hardly think mourning will ever leave the Southern Isles again…" Elsa was quiet and solemn. She wasn't sure what to say to that anyway. She might just end up making it worse.

"It's beautiful out here… I'm glad you suggested it," she said.

"Figured we had to get away from the castle drama at _some_ point," he answered, smiling. "So, what did you think of the foreign dignitaries?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'm hoping to get to know them, and the history of their countries, a little better before I agree to anything," Elsa answered.

"You're a very practical woman, you know that?" Hans replied.

She rolled over onto her side to face him. He met her eyes and playfully winked. She loved those green eyes. When they weren't dark or hollow, that was… She liked that life had started to return to them again… A lot of times it didn't last, which she hated. She didn't like them dulling in sadness or guilt or memory, or coming to life in all the wrong ways when he was enraged or felt slighted or got dangerous. "I love you," she said to him. She wasn't sure why she had, she'd just wanted to, she guessed.

He turned to her curiously. "I love you too," he answered. "But what's with the spontaneous 'I love you'?"

"Just thinking," she replied.

"About what, my love?" he asked, rolling onto his side to face her comfortably.

"Kiss me, writer of Fairy Tales" she said, avoiding the question. He looked curious and almost seemed about to protest before he decided it probably wasn't something overly significant. Moving, he sealed her lips gently with his own. She savored every moment of it, loving the taste of his lips and mouth. After a moment, he pulled back, nuzzling her gently, and she was genuinely torn between asking for sex or just relishing in his nearness. She decided on the latter—it seemed more meaningful somehow—and huddled close to him with a breath, closing her eyes and listening to his heart beat.

 _Never let it stop…_

He wrapped her in his embrace, covering her with his coat, and settled there for the night.


	6. Avoidance

Avoidance

"Three months," Anna murmured to Kristoff as she leaned against his body while they sat together on the castle roof, overlooking Arendelle. It was nice to escape to the roof, but Anna rarely wanted to stay long up there because she knew the Ice Maiden and Vertigo were still lurking about, and while the nature spirits had kept their distance thus far—the Ice Maiden probably felt like she owed them that much at least—odds were it wouldn't last forever. Or much longer. She was worried about her husband… Really worried.

"Six to go," Kristoff replied, grinning and nuzzling her gently. "You're gonna be a mom."

"I know. I'm so nervous, though. I mean, what if I don't do a good job at mothering?" Anna asked. "I mean, I have you to pick up the slack, but still."

"Anna, you couldn't be a bad mother if you tried," Kristoff teased.

"I don't know. All those times we would babysit Little Rock and the other troll children might beg to differ," Anna said.

"You didn't do a bad job, honey. You did great," Kristoff assured. "They aren't exactly like most human children, so it wasn't your fault for not understanding fully how to deal with them… I miss them…"

"They'll be back one day," Anna gently said. "You didn't lose them. Never forget that."

"I know… It's just still so hard…" Kristoff replied.

"I know, baby, I know," Anna said, turning and wrapping her arms around him. "But with the birth of our child, maybe some of that pain will go away?"

"Yeah," Kristoff replied gently, softly placing a hand on her stomach and rubbing it. "I think it'll be a girl. She'll be every bit as beautiful and feisty as her mother."

Anna giggled. "I hope she gets her father's common sense, though," she said. "And toughness."

"Anna, I'm pretty sure you could trounce me in toughness," Kristoff replied.

"I don't think so," Anna replied flatly. "Determination, maybe, but not toughness."

"Sometimes determination is better, so I hope she gets _that_ from you too," Kristoff said.

"Maybe she'll look like her daddy," Anna said, grinning. "Or maybe it'll be a boy after all. I can hardly wait! I mean, I'm a little scared, I don't do great with pain, but still!"

"I'll be right there," Kristoff promised. "We're going to be parents."

"Yeah," Anna said, grinning. She really, really, really hoped, though, that she wouldn't end up raising it by herself. If the Ice Maiden got a hold of Kristoff… She angrily pushed away that thought. She didn't want to consider it right now. She just wanted to relish in this moment and pretend no vengeful fae or nature spirits were keeping their eyes on them. Gods, she hoped Vertigo kept a firm hold on his wife. She'd been told all about that little adventure. It had been both wildly romantic, in her opinion, and also deeply, deeply disturbing and tragic. She placed a hand on her stomach gently and protectively, smiling. "What should we call her? Or him?" Anna asked.

"Only three months in, Anna. So soon?" Kristoff asked.

"No time like the present," Anna replied, grinning.

"Hmm… I kind of like the name Cliff for a boy," he said.

Anna's eyes softened. "I won't even argue it," she answered. His troll father's name… She totally and completely agreed. "But if you suggest Bulda for a girl's name…"

Kristoff laughed. "I wasn't about to. As much as I'd like to, there's no way I could put any daughter mine through that."

"It's not a _bad_ name," Anna defended. "I mean, I've heard way worse. If we can't think of anything else, I'm willing to go with Bulda."

"Thanks, sweetheart," he answered. "But it's a bad name, you know it, and we can come up with something a little better. Ingeborg?"

"That's better?" Anna teased.

He chuckled. "I think it's nice," he answered.

"I say… Crystal?" Anna said.

"Not a huge fan," Kristoff replied, grimacing. "Seems so… I don't know, out of time."

"Oh, come on, it'll be innovative," Anna replied, grinning. "Honestly, though, I think I can find something nicer."

"Hilda," Kristoff said.

"It's nice, but it's just so common," Anna answered. "I'd like it to be a little unique."

"We'll keep brainstorming," Kristoff answered. "We'd better get back down before dark."

"Yeah. Elsa might send a battalion to find us," Anna said. Kristoff grinned and stood. Reaching down, he took her hands and pulled her to her feet. He gazed down into her eyes then pulled her near, kissing her tenderly.

After a while, he drew back. Her eyes fluttered open as she looked up at him from under her eyelashes in a way that made his knees weak. "I can't believe this is actually happening to us," he said, grinning. "It'll be you and me and our child… I swear I'm the luckiest man alive." Anna looked slightly troubled. He frowned. "Anna, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm afraid," she said. "Not of this, just… I'm afraid of losing you…"

"Losing me? Why would you…?" he began. He trailed off, eyes lighting up in realization. "Oh… The Ice Maiden…" Anna was quiet. Kristoff looked down at her then pulled her close. "You don't have to be afraid for me," he assured.

"You saw, and heard, about the damage she did on the Southern Isles. You saw how powerful she was. You can't guarantee that! I want… I want our baby to have both of its parents. I don't want it to know its father only through what it hears in stories and memories, and no matter how hard I try to tell myself it'll be alright, this foreboding pricking keeps running up the back of my spine that tells me it might not be and…" she began.

He cut her off by sealing her lips with his. Her mouth trembled and he drew back, gently rubbing his nose against hers. "It'll be alright, Feisty Pants," he promised. "I'll fight with every fibre of my being to always come back to you. I'm not afraid of the Ice Maiden or Vertigo. And I'll do all in my power to make sure _you_ stop being scared of them too." Anna nodded, smiling up at him with tears shining in her eyes which she quickly wiped away.

"Let's go back inside," she said, taking his hand. He grinned, following her lead.

Frozen

Elsa frowned with arms folded as she watched her husband conversing with diplomats and ambassadors. It wasn't an angry frown so much as curious and a little worried. For the last month or so he'd been very... distant, for some reason. It was like he didn't have time for her anymore. Worried she'd given him too much, she'd taken on some of his workload on top of her own. It was then that she started to get an uneasy feeling that maybe he was avoiding her, because even when there was nothing for him to do he always found something and rarely came to speak to her or talk to her. It was making her feel really uncertain and hurt. "I have the things we need, Elsa," Anna said, approaching her sister.

"He hasn't spoken to me for a week," she said to her sister. Unless it was to brush her off or carry out a bit of small talk.

"Really? Why?" Anna asked, frowning curiously. "That's not like him."

"I don't know," Elsa said, bowing her head.

"Maybe he lost his voice," Anna said. Elsa gave her a dubious look. "Well there's got to be _some_ reason, right?"

"Yeah... I guess... I don't know what's going on and I don't like it," she said. She missed him.

"Hey, it'll look up, sis," Anna assured, smiling at her. "Now come on. I've finished my tea so it's back to the nursery with all this stuff. Besides, maybe if you start to ignore him, he'll start to appreciate you again." Elsa smiled ruefully and nodded at her sister, following Anna.

Frozen

Elsa watched lovingly as her sibling bustled around, getting a room in the palace ready for her baby. She was also preparing one in Kristoff's house, which was becoming more her permanent home than the palace. It was almost like the castle was playing the role of a getaway now. It made her sad, to see her sister staying away more and more often, and to know she was making Kristoff's home her own and leaving behind the castle, but at the same time she was so happy for Anna…

"What colors, do you think?" Anna asked her sister, looking around the room.

"A gentle cream, maybe, or a soft blue," Elsa replied. "Perhaps wallpaper would be best."

"There are some pretty cute wallpapers in the village shops," Anna admitted. "A cream wallpaper with some designs, maybe."

"Or you could be practical and set the nursery up in a way that'll carry into the baby's teenage and possibly even adult years," Elsa said.

"I don't know, I kind of like the decorating thing," Anna answered. She frowned, looking at the time. "Kristoff's late," she said in a more solemn tone. "I hate when he does this… I always end up fearing the worst."

"The Ice Maiden won't come against him for a long time yet, Anna," Elsa answered.

"She's a nature spirit. They're never predictable. Maybe her idea of an honorable time to wait is different. Maybe she was only planning to wait a couple of months," Anna said.

"He'll come home," Elsa said.

"I don't want to raise this baby without him," Anna replied. "I mean, I will, but… but it'll be just so hard and painful… Its only memories of its father are a few pictures and mommy's stories? I don't think so!"

"Anna, he'll come back," Elsa repeated. She looked out the window and smiled. "See, there he is now," she said, pointing.

Anna looked out and breathed a sigh of relief, smiling. "I guess I'm panicking for nothing, huh?" she said.

"It's not a bad thing to be worried about your husband," Elsa said. "But you should let _me_ do that. Kristoff isn't the one who needs to look over his shoulder every waking moment."

Anna's smile fell. "Still not going too well with Hans's integration?" she asked.

"It's better," Elsa answered. "But the ones who still don't like him now, probably never will, and they're the ones that are most concerning. I'm still hoping Hans turns things around, but as much as I try to encourage him to make peace with them, he's still a Westergaard. More inclined to stick with borderline unhealthy paranoia than to talk things out. It's his distrust of them that make them wary of him in turn, I think."

"But let me guess, try telling _him_ that?" Anna asked, smiling ruefully.

"I think he knows. It's just a matter of either not caring, or the paranoia being so deeply entrenched in him that he'll never fully let it go. He won't take the first steps, and neither will they," Elsa said. "He _is_ right, in a way. On the Southern Isles, it was paranoia that kept them alive, but this isn't the Southern Isles. The sooner he adjusts to that and learns to trust a bit more, the better."

"Yeah. Come on. Let's go down and meet Kristoff," Anna said, smiling. Elsa nodded in agreement and accompanied her sister down.

Frozen

"Hi honey," Anna said, approaching Kristoff as he was stabling Sven. Kristoff turned to her and smiled as she fell into his arms, kissing him gently. "I'm setting up the nursery," she added, grinning.

"Can't wait to see it. If it's half as good as the one you set up in our house, this baby will be more spoiled than I thought it would be," Kristoff replied. He looked towards Elsa. "Hi Elsa. Where's Hans?"

"I don't know," Elsa said, smile becoming slightly rueful and worried. "I haven't seen him around much, lately. He's been distant. It seems lately he's always working or dealing with issues that crop up or organizing things and meetings. He's basically taking the steward's job on top of all the things he deals with as King-Consort. It's not good for him and I'm getting concerned." She didn't like that he was always so busy. She was starting to feel definitely neglected. "Piled onto all _that_ , letters have been bouncing back and forth from the Southern Isles, so I assume it's something to do with Xe and I assume it's not something good. I plan to press him if he doesn't start talking to me about it soon. I don't want him going out and fending off pirates. Every time he goes to sea I end up as worried as Anna is for _you_."

"You have more reason to be worried than Anna does," Kristoff replied. "Hans is in genuine danger when he goes out there."

"You're in genuine danger too!" Anna insisted.

"She's right," Elsa backed.

"Whose side are you on?" Kristoff asked, frowning.

Elsa smiled, shrugging. "Come on, let's get to dinner. Hans should theoretically be there. I invited him in a formal letter. It was the only way I was getting to talk to him today. Receiving and reading it kind of shocked him enough for him to start realizing how little I've seen of him lately. He came to me and told me I'd made my point, so I'm all but certain he'll show up," she said. First time he'd come to her in a week, she wryly and inwardly added. Yeah, she was kind of bitter right now.

"Clever, Snow Queen," Kristoff said, grinning in amusement. She chuckled and walked away.

Anna started to follow then stopped, moaning in pain and covering her stomach. Kristoff frowned concernedly. "Anna, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing. Just-just some sickness," she answered. "I'm good."

"Okay," Kristoff said. "But after dinner you're going to lay in bed and rest the rest of the night."

"Yeah. Probably a good idea," she replied. She gasped sharply and winced.

"Anna!" he said, quickly holding her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I am. If I still don't feel well tomorrow, I'll see Doctor Jekyll," she said.

"Good. The last thing I want to see is you getting sick and dying," he said bluntly.

"Wow, you don't sugar-coat things, do you?" she dryly asked.

"I have reason not to. A bad illness is going through some of the mountain villages. It's spreading quickly there, and there've been deaths," Kristoff said. "I just want to be sure you're not on the fast track to joining the body count."

"Especially now," Anna said, looking worriedly at her stomach. She'd like to see the baby born before she died of some disease, after all. At least Kristoff would have _something_ left, then. She wasn't concerned, however. No reports of illness had been spreading through Arendelle itself yet, so it was probably just some hormone or baby thing. She smiled reassuringly up at him and took his hand. Together, they walked to dinner.

Frozen

Hans crept quietly into the bedroom and shut the door behind him, hoping not to wake Elsa. "About time," she said, and he cringed guiltily, turning. She was sitting by the window waiting. Oh boy…

"I'm sorry. Something came up," he said.

"How about letting _me_ be reigning monarch for a while," she bitterly bit, turning to him.

"It's Southern Isles business, Elsa. That's not your concern," Hans replied, frowning slightly at the dig. He knew full well she'd alluded to his love of power and past usurping tendencies. No, he hadn't shaken the desire for power totally, and probably never would. More than once he'd taken on more than was technically his duty to take on. For the most part Elsa had seemed content with it. Until lately, when she figured it was starting to take him away from her. This was a sign he needed to reign it in.

"Everything in Arendelle is my concern, Hans," she answered, standing and crossing her arms with eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, well Southern Isles matter aren't Arendelle, are they?" he sharply retorted. "Look, I'm sorry, okay?"

"Yeah. Right," she answered. She'd heard that song and dance before.

"For the love of…" he began.

"I'm glad you came to dinner, at least," she cut off.

He glared at her then sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose. Right. The letter… "I've really been that distant, haven't I?" he asked. Like he wasn't even here. That was probably why she'd seen it fit to send a letter. She knew he'd always answer.

"Yeah," she replied. "You have. I've ended up going to bed alone every night this week, do you realize that? And waking up alone. And eating alone. I don't think I've seen you for more than an hour or two each day this whole last month, and you've been brushing me off! What's… what's happening, Hans?" Admittedly she felt a little… uncertain, maybe, was the word. His behavior seemed almost like… like the behavior of a man who was cheating on his wife… She didn't think he was, of course! At least, not yet. The thought had flittered across her mind, but she always banished it. There was more than one kind of cheating it seemed, though. And maybe 'cheating' wasn't exactly the term to put to it. It was more like he was getting bored of her. That she'd stopped stimulating him. Maybe this was the crash after the newly wedded bliss? On the other hand, Kristoff and Anna were still going strong with the newly wedded bliss stuff. She guessed it was different for everyone, but…

"Elsa?" he said, breaking her from her thoughts, and she realized he'd probably answered her already and had been waiting for her reply. She looked up at him and turned away, looking back out the window. "Come on, don't do this. The whole silent treatment thing." He had serious unresolved issues with the silent treatment since the two years the triplets had pretended he didn't exist. "I know I've seemed distant and caught up in other things, and you're right. I'll try to cut back, okay? Let the steward do his job, let you do yours. I just…"

"You like to have control over everything that goes on. I know," Elsa said. It stemmed from a lifetime of feeling powerless. Like he wasn't in control of his own life or thinking or actions or anything. He had an inner fit every time he felt like he was being made powerless again, then he got broody and sharp and… and almost frightening… Not to her, she was never scared of him. The servants, on the other hand, steered clear. So did Anna and Kristoff and it seemed everyone _but_ her, so maybe she was the fool for not being scared? That thought worried her. Of course, if Kai or Gerda or the Duke of Weselton were around, they were never scared of him either so perhaps she wasn't the crazy one after all. Just one of the very few who seemed to know how to handle him in those states. He never got dangerous, so maybe saying that those who avoided him were scared was wrong. Perhaps it wasn't fear they felt, just uncertainty and unease. They didn't know how to handle him. He became silent and edgy, physical contact made him jump like he was afraid someone was going to hit him, a loud noise or voice made him go for his sword before stopping, and this powerless look flashed across his entire being that she despised with every fibre of herself. It was almost like he was back on the Southern Isles before him and his brothers had more-or-less reconciled, and before his father had died.

"Please don't make me sound like a monster," he pled quietly, head bowed. "Like some power-hungry control freak that frightens everyone around him." He looked up at her. "I don't want you to be afraid of me," he said softly. He didn't want to frighten her, but he knew he did. Even if she didn't see it too. On some level he terrified her, and he hated that. He hated it so, so much…

"I'm not afraid of you, Hans!" she answered.

"Aren't you, Elsa?" he asked. She was quiet, confused. He drew a deep breath, folding his arms almost vulnerably, then looked into her eyes again. "I know you don't think I hear or feel whenever you wake up with a scream or a gasp after some nightmare where I'm that monster again." She paled, tensing up. "Don't think that I don't feel whenever you pull away from me with a whimper… That I don't know when you slip out of the bed, or out of my arms, and leave in disgust or fear to sleep in another room… That I don't feel you creep back into the bed before you think I wake up and pretend like everything's okay, because it's not! ...And you're only fooling yourself. You're _not_ fooling me…"

She was stunned silent, unable to think of anything to say. He shook his head and went towards the dresser, undressing to get ready for bed. She was still and silent, tears threatening her eyes. She damned herself inwardly for thinking she could ever hide it… "I'm not…" she began, but she trailed off. She wasn't what? To claim she wasn't afraid of him would only elicit a scoff or another argument she couldn't win with logic and reason, because her only defense was… What? What _was_ her only defense…?

She sniffed and turned to watch him. He went to the bed without a word and crawled into it. The conversation, it seemed, was over. Should she even try reassurance or try to get him to open up? "Is it because of me that you haven't let yourself adjust to this place yet?" she asked. Was it because he was afraid it wouldn't last? That eventually she wouldn't be able to live like this anymore and would just turn him out? Was that part of why he was starting to distance himself from her and get wrapped up in work? Because he didn't want to face the possibility of her leaving him, or cope with it?

"Goodnight, Elsa," he said flatly. He was done talking. He just wanted to sleep and get this night over with… Get her waking up with a cry over with, get her slipping out of their bed and leaving over with, get her creeping back in over with, then him waking up and facing the day pretending nothing at all was wrong, because that was just how the Princes of the Southern Isles operated. Another lie, another mask, another day, another month pretending everything was fine… Maybe this marriage was a farce after all, just like they'd meant it to be in the first place.

Elsa was quiet, arms wrapped around herself. Part of her didn't want to face him again for the shame she felt. Part of her wondered if he even wanted her in their bed. Maybe she should just sleep in her old room again and get it over with… But she didn't want to… She looked over at him then clothed herself in a nightdress and went to the bed almost timidly. She half expected him to tell her to go away, but then again, he didn't feel like that was his place or in his power to do. She crawled in next to him. She wanted to wrap her arm around his waist, but didn't know if that was contact he would allow. So instead, she turned her back to his and closed her eyes praying another nightmare didn't come that would make her want to run from his side…

Frozen

"No!" she screamed as she jolted awake. It was around one in the morning. She bit her tongue, hating how loud she'd been, and looked quickly over at him. Her heart dropped. He was awake... He wasn't facing her, but he was awake. She knew he was. She wanted to apologize, but the words stuck in her throat because she could just _feel_ how heartbroken he was…

He stared towards the other end of the room. He'd been awakened by her tossing and turning. Her fearful whispers in the darkness as she was trapped in the throes of some nightmare he probably never wanted to know about… And when he'd touched her and said her name to try and awaken her, it only seemed to scare her more. So, he'd withdrawn his hand, rolled over, and waited for the inevitable. It hadn't been two minutes before she'd jolted awake. "I'm sorry," he said finally. Elsa's heart dropped to hear those words. "You don't have to get up. I'll go to another room this time," he said, throwing off the covers and rising. Her heart plummeted and she wasn't sure if it was humanly possible to feel more wretched than she did right then. She wanted so badly to reach out for him… Yet no protest departed from her lips, and she didn't reach out to try and hold him back.

 _Because part of you wants him to go…_

She felt tears burning her eyes as he left the room, looking back only once before shutting the door. Drawing a shaky breath, she fell back on the bed and gazed miserably out the window. Oh god, why? She closed her eyes tightly, willing back her tears. After a moment, she opened them again and determinedly rose. This wasn't happening like this. She wouldn't let it.

Frozen

Hans lay in a guest room half awake and half asleep. He wished he could be fully asleep. And then maybe not wake up again, but that was a really morbid thought. Didn't make it less tempting, though. If his living meant Elsa ended up fighting fear, sadness, and distrust for the rest of her life, he didn't want it. Maybe that was just his half-awake thoughts tormenting him, but still.

"The dreams where you are the monster again… They're horrible… They're so terrifying…" her voice said from the doorway. He closed his eyes, wishing she hadn't come. "But they're nothing compared to the dreams where you die…" she added. His eyes opened as he frowned confusedly. What now? He lifted his head, looking towards her, and his heart quivered in his chest. She was near to tears. God he hated her tears. Gods she was beautiful… She sniffed and faced him. "And the ones where I'm the one who kills you… They're the worst of them all…" His gaze softened and he sat up. "They're the worst because every time you die at my hands, I see the reflection of a man in your eyes, scared and so lost in himself that… And even when I don't see it, the conscious part of me that watches knows that there was humanity in you after all and that there could have been a chance that will never be, and your eyes dull and cloud in death… That was the dream I had tonight… Where you were the monster, but so was I, in a sense… And at my hand you died, and I _watched_ you die and saw the life fleeing from your eyes and felt only relief that the nightmare was over while the part of me that looked down upon it realized… realized that there had been something worth saving if only I'd tried…"

"Elsa…" he gently began.

She crossed to him and fell at his side, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm not afraid of you, Chameleon Prince… I'm afraid _for_ you…" Stunned, all he could think to do was wrap his arms around her and hold her close. "The nightmares where you die or are killed because no one else can see there's a man, or won't accept there is… The ones where your every goodbye is your last, and every kiss is all I'll ever have of you anymore… The ones where you're too far away for me to save you and I watch you collapse to the ground, your green eyes looking blindly up at the heavens in death… That's what frightens me… When your heart stops beating and your breath dies in your throat with nothing more than a whispered regret or apology, or a whispered 'nightingale' or 'snow queen', and sometimes with nothing at all. Or fires consuming you, or an ocean closing above your head, or bullets piercing your breast, or a rope snapping taut… Or icy spears piercing your body, impaling you… Then the nightmares where you're just the monster become the mercy, because at _least_ you survive, even if I don't or even if I suffer badly. At least there's a chance, then, that one day you'll see the man you hide away, and it ends, if anything, with me waking up with a sob, but not one of fear or sadness. One of relief. Sometimes I leave after those ones, yes, but not out of terror. I leave with a whimper because I know that if I sleep again, which I will, the next dream will be one where your life ends. So in the hope that not being near you will prevent it, I go. Usually it works, but not always."

He didn't even know what to say. He lay back down, holding her in his arms, and just stroked her hair gently. No words came to mind for how he felt. He felt so many things. Anger, grief, fear, uncertainty, relief, guilt… "I'm sorry that I'm the monster... In _any_ of them," he said. "But tell me in honesty that it's always fear _for_ me that drives you away." He knew it wasn't.

"I can't," she answered. Because sometimes yes, it was fear _of_ him, but only very rarely. Usually around her time to bleed when hormones were all out of sorts and some _truly_ disturbing and erotic scenarios played out… Which she hated to admit terrified her but also caught the attention of a darker part of her she'd rather not acknowledge. "Come back to bed," she said. "I don't want you to leave."

"Stay here with me, I'm not inclined to move," Hans answered with a weak smile. She gave a laugh through tears and wiped her eyes, curling next to him. Gently he held her in his arms and smiled, for the moment feeling content. He hoped another nightmare didn't come, though, because if it did, he wasn't sure how he'd react. Or her.


	7. Miscarriage

Miscarriage

(A/N: And now I make everyone riot against me. Not even going to bat around the bush here. so **Trigger** warning for exactly what the title says.)

It was around two in the morning when Anna woke up with a pained gasp and a cry, clutching her stomach. What was happening? She breathed quickly, trying to catch her breath. What was this?! She whimpered then cried out again. "Kristoff!" she said with a gasp, shaking him.

Kristoff snorted awake, blinking rapidly and looking at her. On seeing the fear in her eyes, and the pain, he sat bolt upright. "Anna, what's wrong?" he demanded, immediately awake.

"I-I don't know," she replied. She gave a cry again, doubling over and giving a sob. "I need a doctor! Kristoff, hurry," she begged.

"Hold on, hon, I'll be right back," he promised, quickly rising and running from their room to find Jekyll. Oh gods, what was happening?

"Doctor? Is the doctor nearby?!" he shouted in the halls. "Where's Dr. Jekyll? Please, something's wrong with Anna!"

Frozen

Elsa and Hans jolted awake on hearing Kristoff's voice. Elsa was glad for it, a nightmare had been starting up, but when she heard her brother-in-law call that something was wrong with Anna, her heart plummeted into her stomach and she nearly had a heart attack. She gasped, shooting out of bed with Hans quick to follow. Both ran out as Kristoff was racing by. Hans caught him. "Kristoff, what's happening? What's wrong with Anna?" he demanded.

"I don't know! She's in pain and doubling over and she's scared and-and I don't know!" Kristoff frantically answered.

"Anna!" Elsa called, turning and racing towards her sister's room.

"Let's go," Hans said to Kristoff, racing to find Jekyll.

Frozen

Elsa dashed into her sister's room and saw Anna holding her stomach and pacing, crying out in pain as tears slipped down her cheeks. "Anna!" Elsa exclaimed, running to her and sitting Anna down, holding her close and gently stroking her sister's hair to try and sooth her. "Anna, breathe deeply. It's okay. You'll be okay."

"Elsa, something's wrong," Anna said through tears, clinging to her sister tightly. This couldn't be happening. Not now! Please, please not now. She was only in the second trimester!

"Shh, sweetie, shh," Elsa soothed, though her throat was tightening painfully. She had a very, very bad feeling she knew what was happening. Oh god, please, anything but that. Anna wanted this so badly. It wasn't fair!

 _"_ _Life never is."_

Elsa damned her husband's cynical saying for popping up now. "Elsa, what's happening?" Anna whimpered.

Elsa was quiet. Anna knew exactly what was happening, she sensed. It was just too horrible for her sister to want to accept… "You'll be okay, honey, I promise. You'll get through this," she promised, voice breaking. Anna burst into tears, trembling in her sister's arms.

Frozen

Kristoff sat in silence next to Hans as they waited to hear news. Not that they needed to hear it to guess what was wrong. Hans was fully aware Kristoff knew what had happened. He turned to his friend, from his place standing at a window, and watched the Ice Harvester quietly. Tears shone in Kristoff's eyes but had yet to fall. If only _he_ could hold onto that kind of hope, Hans wryly noted. And Kristoff _was_ hoping. But maybe that was worse, because when the hope was dashed, which it would be… Enough said… When they heard Anna's cries of pain turn into screams of grief, Kristoff sobbed, curling in on himself. Quickly Hans crossed to him and sat next to the man, drawing him into a one-armed hug. Kristoff turned, burying his face in Hans's shoulder and weeping helplessly.

Hans swallowed over a lump in his throat, closing his eyes tightly. "I'm so, so sorry," he whispered to his friend. It was about all he _could_ say. Kristoff kept crying, clinging tightly to him.

Dr. Jekyll left the room and Hans looked towards him woefully. The man's eyes were misted and he wiped them. "I did what I could," he said gently, holding a tiny box in his hands. "The baby, she…" he trailed off, regretting immediately that he'd betrayed what gender it would have been, because that made it seem all the more real somehow and Kristoff gave a sob as he gazed numbly at the box. "I..."

"She's in there?" Kristoff asked.

Jekyll was quiet. "If you feel you need to see..." he began. He trailed off. Anna had wanted to see. _Needed_ to see. Kristoff was still. "You know where I'll..." he began. Kristoff approached and Jekyll swallowed. He opened the lid. Kristoff looked in then coiled away, looking struck. He wavered, falling to his knees and covering his mouth to try and stifle a sob. "I'm sorry," Jekyll said, closing the box. Turning, he left the area.

"Oh god, oh _god_!" Kristoff cried out in grief, gasping back a sob before breaking down. Hans was silent, eyes tightly shut.

Frozen

When Kristoff seemed relatively composed, and the sounds of Anna's sobs had faded a bit, Hans finally dared to bring him into the room. Elsa was laying next to her sister on the bed, holding Anna tightly as Anna cried against her. She wept with her little sister and looked up at Hans and Kristoff as they came in. She turned to Anna, gently kissing her head. "Kristoff's here," she softly said to her sibling. That seemed to only hurt Anna more, and she whimpered, holding Elsa tighter. Gently Elsa disentangled herself from Anna's arms and made room for Kristoff. He approached a couple of steps before nearly collapsing. Hans caught him and helped him to the bed where he fell next to Anna numbly and brushed a strand of hair away from her face, beginning to softly whisper to her. Hans stepped back with Elsa.

"Should I even ask how she is?" Hans asked.

"The only reason she's not crying anymore is because she's dehydrated," Elsa said. "The baby… she was only half the length of a thumb…" she whispered, closing her eyes tightly with teeth clenched. Hans drew her near. He was worried about Kristoff and Anna. They weren't speaking to one another… Anna had turned away from him, and he wasn't looking at her, which couldn't be a good sign. Suddenly Kristoff rose and walked quickly away. Anna whimpered and Elsa, surprised at the action, quickly went to her sister. Hans hurried after Kristoff in turn, slightly alarmed.

"Kristoff, where are you going?" he demanded. "You can't just leave her now!"

"She doesn't want me there," Kristoff said.

"How do you know?" Hans demanded.

"Because she told me to go away, Hans, that's how I know," Kristoff replied.

"She's emotionally devastated! Of _course_ she wants to be alone, the trick is to not let her be!" Hans argued.

"You don't know what you're talking about Hans, so just get lost! Leave me alone!" Kristoff shouted, voice agonized. Turning, he ran. Hans gaped in disbelief then started after him.

"Hans?" Elsa called. Hans stopped and turned. Shifting uneasily, he looked after Kristoff one more time before turning and going back to Elsa and Anna. Elsa looked up at him as he entered. "I don't know what to do," she mouthed to him quietly, looking scared. Anna had curled in on herself and wasn't speaking anymore. Just crying.

Hans approached them and sat. "He'll come back, Anna," he assured. Kristoff may have failed that first little test, but he'd come back. He knew he would… Right…?

"No he won't," she whispered. "He won't forgive me for this, I know he won't."

"Forgive you for what? It wasn't your fault that you…" he began before trailing off.

"Lost it," Anna finished for him.

He was quiet. "It wasn't your fault," he soon repeated. "He can't blame you for it anymore than you can blame him for it."

"Watch me," she hissed.

"Anna," Elsa said in disbelief.

"She doesn't mean it," Hans murmured to Elsa quietly.

"What are we supposed to do? Where did he go?" Elsa asked. Hans shook his head. He didn't know.

"It was a girl," Anna whimpered miserably and sniffed. "I think-I think she would have looked like Kristoff." But all she had to go on were imaginings of what could have been… The little head and eyes, oh gods she had been able to count the fingers and toes on her daughter's tiny form... She had been sucking her little thumb and it just... She drew a shuddering breath, closing her eyes and hoping this was all just some nightmare. Elsa held her sister's hand tightly. "Why couldn't I carry her to term? What went wrong?" Anna asked, voice breaking.

Elsa bent, gently kissing her sister's temple. "You need to sleep, Anna," she said gently.

"I don't want to sleep. I want my baby back inside of me!" Anna exclaimed with a sob, holding her head in her hands.

"Anna, it'll happen again," Hans lamely offered, totally clueless as to what he should say. He knew the second the words were out of his mouth that they were about the worst ones he could have spoken. Elsa scowled darkly at him. Even _she_ knew that wasn't the right thing to say in this situation, and she had next to no experience in comforting. Hans, looking flustered, apparently had realized as much too.

"No... It won't..." Anna said.

Hans stiffened and looked at her in shock. "What?" he whispered.

"I think that's why Kristoff left. Not because I told him to, but because…" Anna began. She broke down again, covering her head. Hans turned to Elsa for answers.

Elsa sniffed, looking away from him. "Something went wrong," she finally said to him. "Jekyll said that he didn't know what it was, but that something was definitely wrong... Not only with the baby, but with Anna too… Anna ordered him to tell her what he meant, and... and he told us that there was a minute possibility that she may not be able to conceive a viable embryo again... He told her not to lose hope, that it was only a very small chance, but…"

"He was lying," Anna flatly stated. "He was trying to make me feel better, assure me there might still be hope… But it was all lies… For whatever reason he has yet to find out, my womb is a hostile environment and will probably always be." Hans was stunned silent. There was nothing to be said. "So Kristoff left," Anna whispered. "He was angry. With me."

"No. He wasn't… He was angry with himself and was afraid you were too," Hans said, turning and quickly leaving. He had to find Kristoff. This time Elsa didn't call him back.

"I feel like my world has ended," Anna said to her sister.

"It hasn't, Anna. It hasn't," Elsa reassured, wiping away her own tears. She needed to send for the Duke… And write to Eugene and Rapunzel too… And to the Westergaard clan…

Some Time Later...

The Duke had come immediately, as had Rapunzel and Eugene. The old man's attention, and Rapunzel's, had been focused solely on Anna and helping her through this. Erik and Francis's attentions had gone to Kristoff, as has Eugene's and Hans's. A shadow of grief hung heavy over the palace that seemed inescapable... Not even little Olaf had smiled or spoken since it happened.

Hans and Olaf watched from the window as Kristoff snuck off towards town again. "So like, where does he go?" Eugene asked, approaching them and looking out.

"To get drunk," Hans answered flatly. "At the tavern. Drown his sorrows… Sometimes he doesn't come home…"

"Poor Kristoff…" Olaf murmured miserably.

"Not sure 'poor' is a powerful enough word," Hans replied.

"What is, then? Wretched can be taken two ways," Eugene said. He looked back down. "Erik and Francis are riding after him."

"They usually do, if they spot him leaving. They're all that keeps him from drinking himself to death," Hans answered. "He won't talk to me. He feels like he's the outcast of the family, now, and Anna feels like he hates her, so neither of them have even spoken to one another since that day."

"They need to, Hans," Eugene seriously said.

"Yeah, well it's not that easy, is it bandit?" Hans bit.

Eugene frowned. "I can't tell whether you have a problem with me or not," he bluntly said.

"Eugene, my brothers consist of pirates, thugs, murderers, and torturers. I can handle a highwayman," Hans replied, giving him a look that screamed 'really'.

"You need to talk to him, if Anna won't," Olaf pled to Hans. "I think the best way you're going to get him to open up again is by assuring him he's not, you know, universally hated."

"I tried!" Hans said.

"Try harder then, doy," Eugene replied, smirking. "What, you're incapable of forcing a man to listen to you? Somehow doesn't seem likely for the Southern Isles."

"Was that a dig?" Hans asked, frowning.

"Just saying. Desperate times and desperate measures and all that," Eugene defended.

Hans looked back towards the town. "Hard as it is to believe, words _aren't_ my strong point. At least, not verbally," he soon said. Well, sometimes they could be, but still.

"Then use the written word," Eugene replied. "That I _know_ you can do. But seriously, try the talking thing first. I've heard you talk your way into hugely improbable scenarios. One of the things I admired about you when you were seducing Anna."

"Wait, you knew what I was doing?" Hans asked.

"Takes a deceiver to know a deceiver," Eugene answered, winking.

"So you willfully let your wife's cousin risk marrying a man you knew would probably kill her or break her heart? Once a brigand always a brigand, I guess," Hans deadpanned.

"I tried to tell Rapunzel! She said I was being paranoid and by the time she started to believe me, Elsa was freaking out with that ice thing and Anna was going after her then the whole chaos brought on by that winter… There just wasn't time to confront you about it or warn anyone else. I was busy trying to help keep people, and my wife, alive. Come on man, at least try. All four of us, an intervention. Maybe he'll see reason." And hopefully the Duke of Weselton, Rapunzel, and Elsa were making progress with Anna.

"Okay," Hans relented. "Let's do this."

"Good man," Eugene said, clapping Hans on the back. Hans gasped in pain and shot him a deadly scowl. He turned to Olaf. "Olaf, you should go check on Anna, okay?"

"Okay," Olaf agreed, heading off. Hans watched him go then headed down to the stables. Eugene chuckled and followed.

Frozen

"Here you are, dearest," the Duke soothingly said to Anna, giving her some tea. Anna took it listlessly and began to sip. Rapunzel looked woefully at Elsa, who looked every bit as lost. The two bowed their heads, turning away and letting the Duke try his hand. Olaf entered quietly and slipped up beside them. Gently Elsa patted his head. "Please look at me, Anna," the Duke pled. "I can't bear to lose another daughter… Even if it isn't to death."

Anna cringed and looked sadly up at him, tears in her eyes. "I've lost him too," she said to the Duke.

"Kristoff? Nonsense. That man is crazy about you," the Duke assured.

"I haven't seen or spoken to him since the day…" Anna began. She trailed off, mouth quivering, and gasped back a sob, looking down again like it was too much effort to keep her head raised. She sipped at the tea, hands shaking. Gently the Duke covered them, steadying them.

"He's grieving too, Anna. Though perhaps not in the best way. But he'll return, soon, and when he does you two will grieve together, talk, forgive… It will be alright, darling," he gently said.

"It'll never be alright again," Anna answered.

"Just you wait and see. Father knows best," he teased softly. She cracked the first semi-smile any of them had seen since the tragedy, and Olaf, Elsa, and Rapunzel almost dared to feel relieved.

Frozen

Hans and Eugene entered the tavern to see Erik and Francis shaking their heads at each other sadly. They'd failed to reach Kristoff yet again, it appeared. Every time they were making progress, he seemed to fall away again. They caught sight of Hans creeping up and started. They wisely gave no indication they'd notice him. Eugene joined them to the side as Hans went to Kristoff, who was in the process of downing a pint without even stopping to breathe. Hans frowned and seized the drink, making Kristoff jump in surprise and turn in shock just in time to watch Hans down the rest and grimace. "Really? This is the garbage you drink? Couldn't you have picked something a little more, I don't know, sophisticated?" the prince asked.

"You mean more in line with aristocratic tastes?" Kristoff bluntly asked, making a grab for it.

"No, I mean pleasant. I've tasted peasant beverages that make this brew taste like swamp," Hans replied, pulling the cup away from Kristoff's grabbing hands and handing it off to Eugene, who saluted Kristoff with a smile and looked inside the cup, frowning. Humph, the prince could have at least left a bit for _him_. Shrugging, he gave it to Francis who started and frowned, unimpressed.

"Get lost, Hans! I don't want you here! You aren't welcome!" Kristoff shot.

"This is a public tavern, last I checked, and even if it wasn't, hey, I'm king, laborer, suck it up," he answered.

"You're king-consort," Kristoff all but sneered, which was a look that decidedly didn't fit with Kristoff, Hans decided. Fierce and murderous didn't work with him.

"Tomato, tomato," Hans replied. "Now get off your sorry backside and come with me."

"Forget it. What is this, an arrest?" Kristoff asked.

"Don't think I won't make it one," Hans threatened, snapping. Francis and Erik frowned, but nonetheless moved to back him. Kristoff started, slightly taken aback. Wow. That was… intense. "You're coming home. Now. No more drinking your sorrows away and trashing your liver, no more spiral into depression. Enough is enough. You can't hide from Anna anymore. She wants you back."

"So she can what? Leave me?" Kristoff asked.

"That's what she's afraid _you've_ done," Hans said.

"Then why hasn't she come after me?!" Kristoff demanded.

"Probably the same reason you haven't gone after her!" Hans shot. "Now move."

"No," Kristoff refused.

"She is miserable, Kristoff!" Hans snapped, all but leaning over Kristoff in a way that actually had the Ice Harvester nearly cowering. "She is hurt, grieving, sick, weak, lonely, and drowning in her own guilt and anguish, and you aren't there for her! You aren't there! You think you can handle this alone, work through this grief by yourself, but look at you! Drinking your life away in a tavern, not going home, passing out at the counter and not waking up for days?! I'm not watching you kill yourself anymore, and I'm sick of hearing Elsa cry every night for the sister she believes she's on the verge of losing forever! You aren't the only man who's suffered the loss of a baby. You're just the one currently stupid enough to cope with it like _this_! Get up! Now!"

Kristoff stood swiftly, looking thoroughly cowed and sheepish. "Let someone in, damn you," Francis spoke up. "Here I am trying to reach you. A father who lost an unborn child just as you did, a daughter just as yours was, and you won't hear me. Erik and I have been trying so hard to reach you, talk to you. Eugene too. You just tune it all out and drink yourself to oblivion. Why don't you see that others grieve with you? Why won't you let them?"

Kristoff was quiet, head hung low. "I'm sorry…" he finally said.

"It isn't us you need to apologize to," Eugene said.

"Anna is waiting for you, Kristoff. This time she doesn't have the strength to go after the one she loves… She hardly has the strength or will to sit up anymore. Do you want to lose her too? Because you're on the brink of doing so… One day she might not wake up…" Erik said. Kristoff's heart dropped into a pit. Without a word, he moved quickly passed them and hurried out to Sven. The others breathed a sigh of relief and followed.

Frozen

Anna lay in bed numbly, staring out the window. She was alone now… She prayed she wouldn't wake up this time… Of course, she'd begged the same every night since she'd lost her unborn child and her husband… She heard the door open and closed her eyes, swallowing. A doctor, maybe, or Elsa or Rapunzel. "Anna?" a voice gently asked.

Her eyes slowly opened as she caught her breath. Quickly she turned and her mouth quivered. She sobbed, covering her mouth. Kristoff… She covered her face in shame, but the next moment he was there, gathering her into his arms and holding her close. She broke down in his embrace, screaming in anguish and holding her husband tightly. Wrapping her in his arms firmly and protectively, he began to gently rock her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she managed to choke out.

"Don't leave me, baby. Please. Please don't leave me. Forgive me, please forgive me," he begged, sobbing. Anna nodded her head but couldn't bring herself to speak anymore. She just relished in her husband's embrace hoping he never let her go ever again.

Frozen

Hans watched the room from the shadows quietly. When Kristoff didn't emerge within five minutes, he knew the Ice Harvester was there to stay. Breathing a sigh of relief, he massaged his temples and leaned against the wall. He needed to go out for a ride, he decided. Preferably to an abandoned cabin in a woodland clearing not far away that he'd made his own, turning it into something of an writing cabin. Elsa and Rapunzel were out with Eugene, Olaf, and the Duke of Weselton anyway, so he wouldn't be missed immediately. He went to the stables and mounted Sitron, riding away from the palace.

Entering the small cabin, he looked around and smiled. It was cozy here. He closed his eyes, relishing in the peace, then went to his desk by the window, sitting at it and looking over some of his work. He heard a bird singing and looked towards the window. A little swallow had perched there, trilling a solemn tune. He listened quietly to it until it flew up to its nest above the window. And just like that, a story was born…

( **A/N** : Next chapter I ruin everyone's childhoods, so apologies in advance, but it's probably likely, by now, that you're getting an idea of what the story 'Little Tiny or Thumbelina' is going to be about, so extra sorry that it's probably definitely not what anyone expected...)


	8. Little Tiny or Thumbelina

Little Tiny or Thumbelina

(A/N: Given the majority of this chapter is Hans Christian Andersen's Thumbelina, with interjections of Hans's as he inwardly explains to himself what certain parts of it meant to him, I'll probably post the next chapter too. Might take a little while, but it'll be up either soon or later today.)

 _There was once a woman who wished very much to have a little child, but she could not obtain her wish. At last she went to a fairy, and said, "I should so very much like to have a little child, can you tell me where I can find one?"_

 _"_ _Oh, that can be easily managed," said the fairy. "Here is a barleycorn of a different kind to those which grow in the farmer's fields, and which the chickens eat. Put it into a flower-pot and see what will happen."_

 _"_ _Thank you," said the woman, and she gave the fairy twelve shillings, which was the price of the barleycorn. Then she went home and planted it, and immediately there grew up a large handsome flower, something like a tulip in appearance, but with its leaves tightly closed as if it were still a bud. "It is a beautiful flower," said the woman, and she kissed the red and golden-colored leaves, and while she did so the flower opened, and she could see that it was a real tulip. Within the flower, upon the green velvet stamens, sat a very delicate and graceful little maiden. She was scarcely half as long as a thumb, and they gave her the name of Thumbelina, or Tiny, because she was so small._

Hans paused, smile falling to a sad look. Elsa had said the child was only half the size of a thumb… He closed his eyes and almost stopped, but he felt compelled to continue. A fantasy, perhaps, was what they all needed. A wonderful imagining with taking animals and semi-happy endings… Sometimes it helped to be lost in a fantasy… Let's see, he had the child, the mother who'd wanted her so very badly, the flower which would symbolize a womb, now what? Ah…

 _A walnut-shell, elegantly polished, served her for a cradle, her bed was formed of blue violet-leaves, with a rose-leaf for a counterpane. Here she slept at night, but during the day she amused herself on a table, where the woman had placed a plateful of water. Round this plate were wreaths of flowers with their stems in the water, and upon it floated a large tulip-leaf, which served Tiny for a boat. Here the little maiden sat and rowed herself from side to side, with two oars made of white horse-hair. It really was a very pretty sight. Tiny could also sing so softly and sweetly that nothing like her singing had ever before been heard._

 _One night, while she lay in her pretty bed, a large, ugly, wet toad crept through a broken pane of glass in the window, and leaped right upon the table where Tiny lay sleeping under her rose-leaf quilt. "What a pretty little wife this would make for my son," said the toad, and she took up the walnut-shell in which little Tiny lay asleep, and jumped through the window with it into the garden._

Frozen

Hans paused again, looking over the story quietly. There was Death, the toad woman. A child, taken from her mother by something so very ugly and dark as death. Thumbelina would never be seen by her parent again, he decided. It was hard to write such a thing, but it was a harsh reality… She would have adventures, though, frightening and sometimes marvellous ones. Hey, you could wish, right? The child's world from here on would be the underworld. Beautiful Asphodel, the forest and fields; otherworldly Elysium, the fairy glade and bright lands; dark Tartarus… the underground…

 _In the swampy margin of a broad stream in the garden lived the toad, with her son. He was uglier even than his mother, and when he saw the pretty little maiden in her elegant bed, he could only cry, "Croak, croak, croak."_

The swampy margin of the broad stream the grave, perhaps? The broad stream Styx and Acheron across which Charon ferried the dead in all those myths he used to read. But then he was truly starting to get morbid now, wasn't he?

 _"_ _Don't speak so loud, or she will wake," said the toad. "And then she might run away, for she is as light as swan's down. We will place her on one of the water-lily leaves out in the stream. It will be like an island to her, she is so light and small, and then she cannot escape; and, while she is away, we will make haste and prepare the state-room under the marsh, in which you are to live when you are married."_

 _Far out in the stream grew a number of water-lilies, with broad green leaves, which seemed to float on the top of the water. The largest of these leaves appeared farther off than the rest, and the old toad swam out to it with the walnut-shell, in which little Tiny lay still asleep. The tiny little creature woke very early in the morning and began to cry bitterly when she found where she was, for she could see nothing but water on every side of the large green leaf, and no way of reaching the land. Meanwhile, the old toad was very busy under the marsh, decking her room with rushes and wild yellow flowers, to make it look pretty for her new daughter-in-law. Then she swam out with her ugly son to the leaf on which she had placed poor little Thumbelina. She wanted to fetch the pretty bed, that she might put it in the bridal chamber to be ready for her. The old toad bowed low to her in the water, and said, "Here is my son, he will be your husband, and you will live happily in the marsh by the stream."_

 _"_ _Croak, croak, croak," was all her son could say for himself, so the toad took up the elegant little bed, and swam away with it, leaving Thumbelina all alone on the green leaf, where she sat and wept. She could not bear to think of living with the old toad, and having her ugly son for a husband._

 _The little fishes who swam about in the water beneath, had seen the toad and heard what she said, so they lifted their heads above the water to look at the little maiden. As soon as they caught sight of her, they saw she was very pretty, and it made them very sorry to think that she must go and live with the ugly toads. "No, it must never be!" So they assembled together in the water, round the green stalk which held the leaf on which the little maiden stood, and gnawed it away at the root with their teeth. Then the leaf floated down the stream, carrying Tiny far away out of reach of land._

The fish would be like the fair folk, or like Persephone, who would take pity on the dead child and save her from doom. Now he was starting to sound insane to his own ears, he dryly joked to himself. No such thing would happen, but sometimes playing pretend could help more than anything else would…

 _Thumbelina sailed past many towns, and the little birds in the bushes saw her, and sang, "What a lovely little creature." So the leaf swam away with her farther and farther, 'til it brought her to other lands. A graceful little white butterfly constantly fluttered round her, and at last alighted on the leaf. Thumbelina pleased him, and she was glad of it, for now the toad could not possibly reach her, and the country through which she sailed was beautiful, and the sun shone upon the water 'til it glittered like liquid gold. She took off her girdle and tied one end of it round the butterfly, and the other end of the ribbon she fastened to the leaf, which now glided on much faster than ever, taking little Tiny with it as she stood._

The butterfly the boatman Charon…

 _Presently a large cockchafer flew by. The moment he caught sight of her, he seized her round her delicate waist with his claws, and flew with her into a tree. The green leaf floated away on the brook, and the butterfly flew with it, for he was fastened to it, and could not get away. Oh, how frightened little Tiny felt when the cockchafer flew with her to the tree! But especially was she sorry for the beautiful white butterfly which she had fastened to the leaf, for if he could not free himself he would die of hunger. But the cockchafer did not trouble himself at all about the matter. He seated himself by her side on a large green leaf, gave her some honey from the flowers to eat, and told her she was very pretty, though not in the least like a cockchafer. After a time, all the cockchafers turned up their feelers and said, "She has only two legs! How ugly that looks."_

 _"_ _She has no feelers," said another. "Her waist is quite slim. Pooh! She is like a human being."_

 _"_ _Oh she is ugly," said all the lady cockchafers, although Tiny was very pretty. Then the cockchafer who had run away with her, believed all the others when they said she was ugly, and would have nothing more to say to her, and told her she might go where she liked. Then he flew down with her from the tree, and placed her on a daisy, and she wept at the thought that she was so ugly that even the cockchafers would have nothing to say to her. And all the while she was really the loveliest creature that one could imagine, and as tender and delicate as a beautiful rose-leaf._

She would have been, Hans inwardly remarked to himself… She would have been a beautiful child. Just like her mother and her aunt… He felt tears sting his eyes and closed them tightly.

Frozen

 _During the whole summer, poor little Tiny lived quite alone in the wide forest. She wove herself a bed with blades of grass, and hung it up under a broad leaf, to protect herself from the rain. She sucked the honey from the flowers for food, and drank the dew from their leaves every morning. So passed away the summer and the autumn, and then came the winter, the long, cold winter. All the birds who had sung to her so sweetly were flown away, and the trees and the flowers had withered. The large clover leaf under the shelter of which she had lived, was now rolled together and shrivelled up. Nothing remained but a yellow withered stalk. She felt dreadfully cold, for her clothes were torn, and she was herself so frail and delicate that poor little Tiny was nearly frozen to death. It began to snow too, and the snow-flakes, as they fell upon her, were like a whole shovelful falling upon one of us, for we are tall, but she was only an inch high. Then she wrapped herself up in a dry leaf, but it cracked in the middle and could not keep her warm, and she shivered with cold._

 _Near the wood in which she had been living lay a corn-field, but the corn had been cut a long time. Nothing remained but the bare dry stubble standing up out of the frozen ground. It was to her like struggling through a large wood. Oh! How she shivered with the cold. She came, at least, to the door of a field-mouse, who had a little den under the corn-stubble. There dwelt the field-mouse in warmth and comfort, with a whole roomful of corn, a kitchen, and a beautiful dining room. Poor little Tiny stood before the door just like a little beggar-girl and begged for a small piece of barley-corn, for she had been without a morsel to eat for two days._

 _"_ _You poor little creature," said the field-mouse, who was really a good old field mouse. "Come into my warm room and dine with me." She was very pleased with Thumbelina, so she said, "You are quite welcome to stay with me all the winter, if you like; but you must keep my rooms clean and neat, and tell me stories, for I shall like to hear them very much." And Thumbelina did all the field-mouse asked her, and found herself very comfortable._

Frozen

Hans rubbed his eyes tiredly. He'd mentioned the child's mother. Now how would he fit its father in? Ah, he knew. The mournfully singing swallow that had landed on his windowsill…

 _"_ _We shall have a visitor soon," said the field-mouse one day. "My neighbor pays me a visit once a week. He is better off than I am. He has large rooms and wears a beautiful black velvet coat. If you could only have him for a husband, you would be well provided for indeed. But he is blind, so you must tell him some of your prettiest stories."_

 _"_ _But Tiny did not feel at all interested about this neighbor, for he was a mole. However, he came and paid his visit dressed in his black velvet coat._

 _"_ _He is very rich and learned, and his house is twenty times larger than mine," said the field-mouse._

 _He was rich and learned, no doubt, but he always spoke slightingly of the sun and the pretty flowers, because he had never seen them. Tiny was obliged to sing to him, "Lady-bird, lady-bird, fly away home," and many other pretty songs. And the mole fell in love with her because she had such a sweet voice; but he said nothing yet, for he was very cautious. A short time before, the mole had dug a long passage under the earth, which led from the dwelling of the field mouse to his own, and here she had permission to walk with Tiny whenever she liked. But he warned them not to be alarmed at the sight of a dead bird which lay in the passage. It was a perfect bird, with a beak and feathers, and could not have been dead long, and was lying just where the mole had made his passage. The mole took a piece of phosphorescent wood in his mouth, and it glittered like fire in the dark; then he went before them to light them through the long, dark passage._

 _When they came to the spot where lay the dead bird, the mole pushed his broad nose through the ceiling. The earth gave way so that there was a large hole, and the daylight shone into the passage. In the middle of the floor lay a dead swallow, his beautiful wings pulled close to his sides, his feet and his head drawn up under his feathers._

A memory of the broken and grieving would-have-been father…

 _The poor bird had evidently died of the cold._

Of grief.

 _It made little Thumbelina very sad to see it, she did so love the little birds. All the summer they had sung and twittered for her so beautifully. But the mole pushed it aside with his crooked legs, and said, "He will sing no more now. How miserable it must be to be born a little bird! I am thankful that none of my children will ever be birds, for they can do nothing but cry, 'Tweet, tweet,' and always die of hunger in the winter."_

 _"_ _Yes, you may well say that, as a clever man!" exclaimed the field-mouse. "What is the use of his twittering, for when winter comes he must either starve or be frozen to death. Still, birds are very high bred."_

 _Thumbelina said nothing, but when the two others had turned their backs on the bird, she stooped down and stroked aside the soft feathers which covered the head, and kissed the closed eyelids. "Perhaps this was the one who sang to me so sweetly in the summer," she said. "And how much pleasure it gave me, you dear, pretty bird."_

Kristoff had sung to Anna's stomach. He'd heard him doing so on more than one occasion… He'd loved that unborn babe so much… The child would have liked it, he knew, if she had lived to full term. Her father's voice would have been a symbol of safety and love all her days… If the baby was alive and able to see her parents now, she'd be every bit as grieved as Thumbelina had been to see the dead bird.

 _The mole now stopped up the hole though which the daylight shone, and then accompanied the lady home. But during the night Thumbelina could not sleep, so she got out of bed and wove a large, beautiful carpet of hay. Then she carried it to the dead bird, and spread it over him, with some down from the flowers which she had found in the field-mouse's room. It was as soft as wool, and she spread some of it on each side of the bird so that he might lie warmly in the cold earth. "Farewell, you pretty little bird," said she. "Farewell. Thank you for your delightful singing during the summer, when all the trees were green, and the warm sun shone upon us." Then she laid her head on the bird's breast, but she was alarmed immediately, for it seemed as if something inside the bird went thump, thump._

 _It was the bird's heart! He was not really dead, only benumbed with the cold, and the warmth had restored him to life. In autumn, all the swallows fly away into warm countries, but if one happens to linger, the cold seizes it, it becomes frozen, and falls down as if dead. It remains where it fell, and the cold snow covers it. Tiny trembled very much. She was quite frightened, for the bird was large, a great deal larger than herself, she was only an inch high. But she took courage, laid the wool more thickly over the poor swallow, and then took a leaf which she had used for her own counterpane, and laid it over the head of the poor bird. The next morning, she again stole out to see him. He was alive, but very weak. He could only open his eyes for a moment to look at Tiny, who stood by holding a piece of decayed wood in her hand, for she had no other lantern._

 _"_ _Thank you, pretty little maiden," said the sick swallow. "I have been so nicely warmed that I shall soon regain my strength, and be able to fly about again in the warm sunshine."_

 _"_ _Oh," said she. "It is cold out of doors now. It snows and freezes. Stay in your warm bed. I will take care of you."_

 _Then she brought the swallow some water in a flower-leaf, and after he had drank, he told her that he had wounded one of his wings in a thorn-bush, and so could not fly as fast as the others, who were soon far away on their journey to warm countries. Then at last he had fallen to the earth, and could remember no more, nor how he came to be where she had found him._

 _Frozen_

 _The whole winter the swallow remained underground, and Thumbelina nursed him with care and love. Neither the mole nor the field-mouse knew anything about it, for they did not like swallows. Very soon the spring time came, and the sun warmed the earth. Then the swallow bade farewell to Thumbelina, and she opened the hole in the ceiling which the mole had made. The sun shone in upon them so beautifully that the swallow asked her if she would go with him. She could sit on his back, he said, and he would fly away with her into the green woods. But Tiny knew it would make the field-mouse very grieved if she left her in that manner, so she said, "No, I cannot."_

 _"_ _Farewell, then, farewell, you good, pretty little maiden," said the swallow, and he flew out into the sunshine. Tiny looked after him, and the tears rose in her eyes. She was very fond of the poor swallow. "Tweet, tweet," sang the bird, as he flew out into the green woods, and Tiny felt very sad. She was not allowed to go out into the warm sunshine. The corn which had been sown in the field over the house of the field-mouse had grown up high into the air, and formed a thick wood to Tiny, who was only an inch in height._

 _"_ _You are going to be married, Thumbelina," said the field-mouse. "My neighbor has asked for you. What good fortune for a poor child like you. Now we will prepare your wedding clothes. They must be both woollen and linen. Nothing must be wanting when you are the mole's wife."_

 _Thumbelina had to turn the spindle, and the field-mouse hired four spiders, who were to weave day and night. Every evening the mole visited her, and was continually speaking of the time when the summer would be over. Then he would keep his wedding-day with Tiny; but now the heat of the sun was so great that it burned the earth, and made it quite hard, like a stone. As soon as the summer was over, the wedding should take place. But Tiny was not at all pleased, for she did not like the tiresome mole. Every morning when the sun rose, and every evening when it went down, she would creep out at the door, and as the wind blew aside the ears of corn, so that she could see the blue sky, she thought how beautiful and bright it seemed out there, and wished so much to see her dear swallow again. But he never returned, for by this time he had flown far away into the lovely green forest._

 _When autumn arrived, Thumbelina had her outfit quite ready, and the field-mouse said to her, "In four weeks the wedding must take place." Then Thumbelina wept, and said she would not marry the disagreeable mole. "Nonsense," replied the field-mouse. "Now don't be obstinate, or I shall bite you with my white teeth. He is a very handsome mole; the queen herself does not wear more beautiful velvets and furs. His kitchen and cellars are quite full. You ought to be very thankful for such good fortune."_

 _So, the wedding-day was fixed, on which the mole was to fetch Tiny away to live with him, deep under the earth, and never again to see the warm sun, because he did not like it. The poor child was very unhappy at the thought of saying farewell to the beautiful sun, and as the field-mouse had given her permission to stand at the door, she went to look at it once more._

 _"_ _Farewell bright sun," she cried, stretching out her arm towards it, and then she walked a short distance from the house; for the corn had been cut, and only the dry stubble remained in the fields. "Farewell, farewell," she repeated, twining her arm round a little red flower that grew just by her side. "Greet the little swallow for me, if you should see him again._

 _"_ _Tweet, tweet," sounded over her head suddenly. She looked up, and there was the swallow himself flying close by. As soon as he spied Thumbelina, he was delighted; and then she told him how unwilling she felt to marry the ugly mole, and to live always beneath the earth, and never to see the bright sun anymore. And as she told him she wept._

 _"_ _Cold winter is coming," said the swallow, "and I am going to fly away into warmer countries. Will you go with me? You can sit on my back, and fasten yourself on with your sash. Then we can fly away from the ugly mole and his gloomy rooms, far away, over the mountains, into warmer countries, where the sun shines more brightly than here. Where it is always summer, and the flowers bloom in greater beauty. Fly now with me, dear little Thumbelina. You saved my life when I lay frozen in that dark passage."_

 _"_ _Yes, I will go with you," said Tiny, and she seated herself on the bird's back, with her feet on his outstretched wings, and tied her girdle to one of his strongest feathers._

 _Then the swallow rose in the air, and flew over forest and over sea, high above the highest mountains, covered with eternal snow. Tiny would have been frozen in the cold air, but she crept under the bird's warm feathers, keeping her little head uncovered so that she might admire the beautiful lands over which they passed. At length, they reached the warm countries, where the sun shines brightly, and the sky seems so much higher above the earth. Here, on the hedges and by the wayside, grew purple, green, and white grapes. Lemons and oranges hung from trees in the woods, and the air was fragrant with myrtles and orange blossoms. Beautiful children ran along the country lanes, playing with large gay butterflies, and as the swallow flew farther and farther, every place appeared still more lovely._

Frozen

 _At last they came to a blue lake, and by the side of it, shaded by trees of the deepest green, stood a palace of dazzling white marble, built in the olden times. Vines clustered round its lofty pillars, and at the top were many swallows' nests, and one of these was the home of the swallow who carried Tiny._

 _"_ _This is my house," said the swallow. "But it would not do for you to live there, you would not be comfortable. You must choose for yourself one of those lovely flowers, and I will put you down upon it, and then you shall have everything that you can wish to make you happy."_

 _"_ _That will be delightful," she said, and clapped her little hands for joy._

 _A large marble pillar lay on the ground which, in falling, had been broken into three pieces. Between these pieces grew the most beautiful large white flowers, so the swallow flew down with Tiny, and placed her on one of the broad leaves. But how surprised she was to see in the middle of the flower a tiny little man, as white and transparent as if he had been made of crystal! He had a gold crown on his head, and delicate wings at his shoulders, and was not much larger than Tiny herself. He was the angel of the flower, for a tiny man and a tiny woman dwell in every flower, and this was the king of them all._

 _"_ _Oh, how beautiful he is!" whispered Thumbelina to the swallow._

 _The little prince was at first quite frightened at the bird, who was like a giant compared to such a delicate little creature as himself; but when he saw Tiny, he was delighted, and thought her the prettiest little maiden he had ever seen. He took the gold crown from his head, and placed it on hers, and asked her name, and if she would be his wife, and queen over all the flowers._

 _This certainly was a very different sort of husband to the son of a toad or the mole, with black velvet and fur, so she said, yes to the handsome prince. Then all the flowers opened, and out of each came a little lady or a tiny lord, all so pretty it was quite a pleasure to look at them. Each of them brought Tiny a present, but the best gift was a pair of beautiful wings which had belonged to a large white butterfly, and they fastened them to Tiny's shoulders so that she might fly from flower to flower. Then there was much rejoicing, and the little swallow who sat above them in his nest was asked to sing a wedding song, which he did as well as he could. But in his heart, he felt sad, for he was very fond of Tiny and would have liked never to part from her again._

 _"_ _You must not be called Tiny anymore," said the spirits of the flowers to her. "It is an ugly name, and you are so very pretty. We will call you Maia."_

 _"_ _Farewell, farewell," said the swallow, with a heavy heart as he left the warm countries to fly back into Denmark._

Let go of his mourning and returned to life, though grief would never fully leave.

 _There he had a nest over a window of a house in which dwelt the writer of fairy tales. The swallow sang, "Tweet, tweet," and from this song came the whole story._

The bird that had perched on the sill…

Frozen

He put down his quill and read the story over quietly. He had half a mind to throw it out. He didn't think it was very good, but then again… On second reading, it didn't seem so bad. The fairies' insistence that she change her name was a little much, maybe, but oh well. Odds were Anna or Kristoff would tear it up anyway. For all he knew they'd find it incredibly disrespectful. At this point, though, it was all he had to offer anymore. He looked out the window. He should head back before he was missed. Tucking the story away, he rose and left the little house. Mounting Sitron, he looked back and saw the swallow in its little nest. Sadly, he smiled.

"You ever wished a fairy tale could come true?" he asked the little bird. It continued to preen itself, chirping a couple of times. Hans shook his head. It would be a wonderful story indeed if an infant so small could be given life by the fae or a goddess, and survive and live a whole life… But it wasn't to be. Turning Sitron, he galloped back towards the castle…

Frozen

Anna and Kristoff flipped through the pages of the manuscript quietly. They'd awakened to find it laying by their bed. Who had left it there was obvious. There was only one person they knew who could write like this. Tears burned Anna's eyes and Kristoff broke down. She knew, then, that until this moment he hadn't yet let himself truly grieve. She turned the page, sniffing and wiping away tears, then gave a small laugh. "Maia," she said. "That would have been the perfect name… Maia Thumbelina." Kristoff continued to weep. Anna lay the manuscript to the side and pulled him into her arms, hugging him and letting herself weep with him…


	9. Seed of Doubt

Seed of Doubt

(A/N: **Second** up today.)

Hans sat in the study, focused on signing various papers that needed signing. "Hans?" a voice said. Anna. He paused, stiffening. Curiously he turned to her. "Thank you," she said when he met her eyes, tears shining in her own.

"You're welcome," he gently answered.

"I don't think you'll ever know how unbelievably touched and grateful we are for what you did. That story… About _her_ … It almost seemed like it was real… For a while we could imagine it was. That she would find a happy ending and marry a fairy prince, that she was still alive and grown and just… Thank you so, so much…" she said.

"Anna…" Hans began.

"He broke down, finally. Kristoff. He let himself truly cry for her," she continued, holding herself close. "And for me… And for everything we'll never be able to have…" She drew a sharp breath, closing her eyes tightly. "Maia Thumbelina would have been the perfect first and middle names," she added with a laugh.

Hans rose and went to her. Gently he pulled her into a hug. It was the first meaningful physical contact he'd had with her since they'd first met, he noted to himself, and he half expected her to pull away, but she didn't. She just pressed herself closer as he hugged her near. After a moment, he drew away, though he kept his hands on her waist. "For what it's worth, there are other ways, you know. To have a child. I know maybe you don't want to think about anything like that anytime soon, but just a thought. Maybe you can't get pregnant anymore, but that doesn't mean you can't still be a mother. Any child would be lucky to call you mom, and Kristoff dad. Whatever happens, we're here for you. Me and my brothers, your family and friends… Everyone." She smiled sadly and nodded. Wiping her eyes again, she hugged him once more then turned and left. He smiled sadly after her then turned to the papers, smile falling. Suddenly he wasn't feeling motivated enough to do this anymore. He should probably put it aside for a while and take a break.

"Thank you. For what you did for them," another voice said. He smiled gently on hearing it. Elsa. He turned around and saw her standing near. She must have overheard about the story. Or been told.

"I didn't know what else I could offer," he answered.

"What you gave them was worth more to them than anything anyone else could have given," she said, looking to the side. "You gave them hope again, I think. You gave their baby life… Now they can progress in their grieving..." She turned to him. "You're a good man, Hans Christian Andersen."

"That you believe so means more to me than you know," he answered. As much as he didn't agree with it.

She crossed to him and pressed her lips against his softly. "Be there tonight, when I go to bed," she said.

"I will," he promised. "This time I'll be there." She nodded, kissing him once more, then went to find Rapunzel so they could be with Anna.

Frozen

That night he was there in bed before she had even come in. She saw him sitting up against the headboard reading a manuscript. "What are you reading?" she wondered.

" _A Tale of Two Cities_. I finished _David Copperfield_ not long ago and decided that as long as I was on a Dickens binge, I might as well read this one too since I had the manuscript," he answered.

"Wow. That's a depressing one, isn't it?" she said. Yes, she'd glanced at it herself. "You couldn't pick _Oliver Twist_ or something?"

"You don't think _that's_ depressing?" Hans teased.

"At least it has a better ending than _A Tale of Two Cities_ , far as I know," Elsa answered.

Hans smiled affectionately as he watched her undress. She felt his eyes on her and took her time, which he was very much appreciating, admittedly. His eyes followed the curve of her back and drank in her form. She smiled to herself and turned around, folding her hands behind her back in something of a pose. "I would advise you cover yourself, love. I fear if you treat me with this sight much longer, I won't be able to take it."

"That's the point," she answered, fixing him with a smoky gaze and approaching him gracefully. He laid the manuscript to the side, eyes sparkling in amusement and intrigue. He liked where this was going. She climbed onto the bed and straddled him. Leaning forward, she kissed him tenderly, entwining her fingers with his. "Do you know how grateful I am for what you did for my sister and Kristoff?" she asked in a whisper.

"I have a feeling I'm about to find out," he answered in a growl. She grinned, nuzzling him gently and laying him back onto the bed. She kissed him again and again until it was getting more than a little steamy. Not literally, though they were certainly capable of it given their opposing abilities, but you got the picture. Soon enough she'd fallen upon him and they had commenced to the love-making…

Frozen

Hans's eyes opened. He yawned, covering his mouth. Well, _that_ had been a busy night. In only good ways. He smirked at the memory then frowned when he noticed she wasn't in bed. He looked up and saw her standing on the balcony. He tilted his head. She looked worried about something… maybe scared? Curious, he covered himself then went to her. "Good morning," he greeted with a smile.

"Morning," she replied, staring towards the ocean.

"What's wrong, Elsa?" he asked, leaning against the balcony railing.

"If I say nothing, is there a chance you'll believe me?" she asked.

"You know the answer to that," he said.

"Yeah," she replied, smiling weakly. She supposed she did. She turned to him. "I'm just thinking about all of this. Anna, her losing the baby… Mother had probably three miscarriages before me. Two after Anna, maybe one in between. Her mother too. Her grandmother had a still birth and another who died within the first week or so." Hans was quiet. "It's common in our family, things like that, and I guess… I'm afraid, Hans. Afraid of being unable to have children, afraid of something going wrong… I feel so selfish, but I never want to have to suffer what Anna's going through. That's why I've been so reluctant to discuss starting a family, I think." Though not quite as much as _he_ seemed to be.

"Even if the worst should happen, I'll still be here," he promised, covering her hand gently. "Your worth isn't measured by whether you can have children. No woman's should be. Even if you were barren, which I doubt, or unable to carry a child, it wouldn't matter. Not to me. I'm in love with you with or without a little one in the picture. Maybe it would hurt for a while, but we would get through it. Besides, we agreed we weren't planning on a pregnancy anytime soon, right? Nothing to worry about for a while yet."

"Yeah," she replied, smiling up at him. She felt a little better about it, but she was still a bit scared. Her smile fell. "Why are you afraid to be a father?" she questioned.

He tensed up. "I'm not," he blatantly lied, turning away from her.

"Reluctant, then. I know that something holds you back. Gods know you love children. It just doesn't seem to fit that you don't seem to want any," she said.

"Part of me does want one, Elsa. Desperately. But I can live without. Probably better I do," he answered. He turned to her. "Do I even need to say it out loud for you to know my reason?" She was quiet. She had a guess. 'Monsters don't deserve to be given a gift as precious as that', or something of that ilk.

"What can I say to convince you you're not a monster?" she questioned.

"Do you think that's all that holds me back?" Hans asked. Before she could question him about the remark, though, he took her hands in his and pressed them to his chest where his heart was. She felt it beating beneath her fingertips.

"Beware the frozen heart," he said to her gently.

Softly she traced where his heart was and looked up at him solemnly. "Split the ice apart, and break the frozen heart," she sang in reply.

"You can't break through a glacier," he answered.

She pressed her lips against his chest, over his beating heart. She could feel it against her lips, steady and strong. Soon she stood straight and looked up at him again. "Ice and snow bend to my whim," she whispered against his neck. "Just watch what I can do to a glacier." Queen of the Glaciers be damned.

He looked at her in bemusement and soon kissed her softly. "I feel it working even now," he answered when he drew away, lightly rubbing his nose against hers. She smiled softly and turned to go back into the room. He watched after her lovingly. "You keep surprising me, Snow Queen," he said, shaking his head affectionately. He followed her to get ready for the day. Tax collecting. Because _that_ was always fun, laugh, laugh. Maybe he'd bring Erik and Francis along for company.

Frozen

"How are you doing, Anna?" Elsa worriedly asked her sister as they walked together through the palace.

"Not well," she admitted. "It's just so hard to come to terms with… Elsa, I feel so lost. Sometimes it soothes the pain, reading Hans's story, it helps me forget what happened… Then I put it down and I remember reality."

"I know, Anna," Elsa gently said to her sister. At least she had Kristoff at her side now, though. "I wish there was something I could do. I feel so useless."

"You and papa and Olaf and Rapunzel being here is all I need," Anna answered, smiling. Her smile faded. "Have the Princes of the Southern Isles heard?"

"They have," Elsa answered. "They send their condolences. They wish they could be here, but there's some turmoil going on right now."

"There always is," Anna said with a sigh, slightly hurt. "No wonder Hans wanted out." Clashing with other nations on one front and your own flesh and blood on the other couldn't be easy. "Have they all moved back to their own islands?"

"Yes," Elsa confirmed.

"Maybe it isn't other nations they're clashing with then," Anna dryly remarked. Maybe they were goin through a mini civil war.

"Goodness knows they need the space. Caleb's children are back under his roof. At least… the ones that are still alive… It's been tough. On all of them. The islands have been swathed in mourning. Hans has too, I think. He hides it well, he always does. I wish he wouldn't. Whenever he goes off somewhere alone, though, or to his little cottage in the forest to write, you can bet he's grieving something."

"He shouldn't keep trying to handle it all himself," Anna said. "I mean I get it's what he does, it's like integrated in him, but still!"

"The Southern Isles liked their self-soothing," Elsa dryly agreed.

"Where's Hans now anyway?" Anna asked.

Elsa grimaced. "Collecting taxes," she answered.

"You trust him not to kill anyone?" Anna dryly asked. Elsa gave her a sharp look. "Sorry," Anna sheepishly said, grinning innocently. "Doesn't it worry you that he's out there alone? I mean, does he even take guards?"

"The people like him well enough, for the most part. So do most of the palace servants," Elsa replied.

"Yeah, but I mean, it only takes that one guy who doesn't, right?" Anna asked.

"You've gotten cynical, baby sister," Elsa ruefully said, smiling sadly at Anna. "But you make a point. I _am_ worried," she admitted. "I hope…"

"Queen Elsa!" an urgent voice shouted. Elsa and Anna turned quickly. Gerda raced in, holding up her skirts and looking afraid and close to tears. "Elsa, something horrible has happened."

"Gerda, what is it?" Elsa immediately asked, worried.

"It's your husband, my lady," Gerda said, trembling. Elsa paled, catching her breath as Anna gawked in disbelief. What, was she suddenly a jinx now?

ES

Elsa raced through the palace. She darted around a corner and caught her breath, covering her mouth. She saw Erik and Francis quickly carrying the badly injured prince towards the infirmary. His expression was filled with pain and he was struggling, which could only be making it all worse. "Hans!" she exclaimed, running to him and taking his hand tightly. His own clamped around hers so hard she had to bite back a cry as she winced. His eyes flew open, filled with pain, and his breaths were sharp and ragged. He gazed at her, terrified and confused as if he was trying to register, through his anguish, who she was. When he did, his grip relaxed, and for a moment he seemed to calm before giving a cry of pain and tossing back his head as another wave washed over him.

"What happened to him?!" Elsa frantically demanded as they laid her husband down on a bed and as Erik ran to get Dr. Jekyll.

"As were riding we were set on by a mob, my lady, baying for his blood! Before we could even draw our weapons, we had been pulled from out horses and the king was being brutalized. They struck him with fists and kicked him and beat him with rocks or wood, and then there was a knife and he was stabbed in the stomach five times in rapid succession. The authorities came and quickly helped fight back the mob so that we could get him away to the castle, but partway there he collapsed and we saw signs of poisoning!" Erik said.

"It was the dagger, it had to be! The effect was fast. We knew we had to get him here as soon as possible," Francis answered.

"Oh gods," Elsa said, quickly and fearfully turning to Hans as a chill ran up her spine. He had broken out in a cold sweat and it seemed as if his every breath was a struggle. "Hans?" she said, bending down and gently cupping his cheek, tears threatening her eyes but not falling yet. His eyes shot open as if startled. He gave a whimper, struggling slightly before comprehending it was her. Again, only very briefly, he seemed to calm. Elsa turned with a small gasp as Jekyll hurried in. She straightened up. "Save him!" she pled, gesturing to Hans.

"I will do all I can, my lady," Dr. Jekyll answered. "I owe him everything." Immediately he started to examine the prince, who had slipped back into unconsciousness.

"I want the ones responsible for this brought to me immediately!" Elsa ordered Erik and Francis, expression becoming angered. They bowed to her then quickly headed out to investigate the matter, likely with Eugene too, when he heard of it. Elsa, expression worried and scared again, turned to look back towards Hans. She swallowed uneasily. Please let him be okay…

ES

Some time later, Dr. Jekyll had done it. He'd saved the prince! Elsa could have kissed the man. She watched her unconscious husband worriedly. "He'll wake up in a few hours," Jekyll assured. "I was able to negate the poison. He may be weak for a while, but he'll live."

"Thank you," Elsa answered, focus wholly on Hans. The doctor quietly left, leaving the queen and her consort to themselves. When he was gone, she sat at Hans's side, gently stroking his hair. "Curse you, writer of Fairy Tales. I told you to be careful…" Why had this happened? Why had the people mobbed him like that? She needed answers. She needed the perpetrators found and brought in to be questioned before someone finished Hans off. She inwardly shuddered. There would be another nightmare tonight, she knew immediately. Maybe she should just never sleep again. She smirked to herself. That of course wouldn't happen, but she was almost tempted to try. She sniffed, gazing down at him. She'd thought the worst of it was ended… The people had come around, most all the servants, and now this? That would teach her to be optimistic, she cynically joked to herself. She rested her forehead against his, gently nuzzling it with teeth clenched. There was nothing she could do but wait. She didn't want to leave his side, but she had a kingdom to run and Anna was in no state of mind to do it what with the miscarriage and the grief.

"If you wish to stay with him, my dear, I can take over for a while," the Duke of Weselton said from the door. She looked back at him and inwardly winced. He looked so tired… It had been emotional for them all.

"Dear Duke, you need rest," she said. "You've been up all hours fussing over Anna and me… I can't ask you to do that. But… but maybe you can stay with Hans and watch him?"

"Daughter, if there are people that determined to have at your husband, I'm about the weakest line of defense he could possibly have," the Duke stated, shaking his head. "I'm old, dear. I couldn't hope to stand to any sort of assassin anymore. That's why I have Erik and Francis. And many others. Taking over your duties for a few hours is about as relaxed as it gets."

Elsa cringed, looking at Hans. The Duke was right, she knew. If there was anyone of the mob who was particularly determined to see Hans die, namely the knifeman who had stabbed him in the chaos, they may very well intend to finish the job. For all she knew an attacker could be right outside the window, and the Duke of Weselton _wouldn't_ stand a chance. "Alright," she finally relented.

"For what it's worth, Elsa, this isn't the first attempt against his life that Hans has survived," the Duke pointed out. "Gods knew he and his brothers spent the better portion of their lives trying to assassinate one another. To say nothing of all the _other_ assassins that probably had at them around the same time. This is probably just another notch in the stick for him. I expect he'll brush this off as an annoyance and leave it at that. He certainly wouldn't understand your fretting if he woke up and saw you now."

"I want him to be safe here, papa. I don't want this home to be another he can't trust! He's spent his whole life fighting to survive in an environment so hostile that it was second nature to him to sleep with weapons scattered throughout his whole room. I don't want him to feel like he needs to do that here too. I want… I want this place to be his sanctuary, his safe-haven, his _home_! The place where he can feel at ease. The place where he doesn't have to be afraid. I'm sick of seeing him walk these halls like he's on pins and needles, or like he's some trespasser or thief. I'm sick of seeing him on guard for his life," Elsa replied. "For goodness sake, I found a pistol in my powder drawer, papa. And a razorblade stuffed behind a painting!"

"That boy's self-preservation and foresight is uncanny, I should be hiring him to…" the Duke began, obviously impressed. Elsa gave him a glare and he stiffened before sheepishly clearing his throat and pulling his collar. "It's his instinct, Elsa. It's probably not something he'll ever drop, this 'better safe than sorry' attitude of his. It's been ingrained in him for a long time and most likely has paid off. Even if you make him feel safe here, that won't stop him from preparing for any eventuality by stuffing weapons in the most unlikely of places."

"In a fruit bowl?" Elsa deadpanned.

"Err… yes," the Duke said, though admittedly that was a bit concerning. Namely because it sounded similar to something an assassin would be doing. Of course, Hans had probably played the role of an assassin before, so he supposed he shouldn't be concerned at all, really. Elsa sighed. The Duke shook his head, looking at Hans. "It will take him a long time, dearest, longer than most. Old wounds run deep, but he'll feel safe here one day, I promise you that. There will be obstacles along the way, but he will eventually feel secure enough to let his guard down. Never fully, don't believe for a moment a Westergaard will ever let his guard down fully even if he feels perfectly content, but he _will_ let it drop a bit."

"Not as long as he feels he's in danger, though," she answered.

"Rulers are always in danger, Elsa. That's a lesson you _should_ take from him," the Duke said seriously. "Try to understand it from his eyes. On the Isles, he was his own protector. When he and his brothers became relatively unified again, then _they_ became his protectors, more or less. He's only ever had to look out for himself with exception to his men, none of which he was ever particularly close to anyway. Now he was bad enough when it was only him he had to protect, but now he has a family. For the first time in his life, he's protecting more than just him, and every single person he's protecting is someone he cares about far more than himself."

"He's always seen himself as the throwaway," she sadly said, turning to her husband, but she was starting to see where the Duke was coming from. This duty Hans had taken upon himself wasn't one he was used to playing. Not on this level. It would take a while for him to adjust to that as well… But the Chameleon Prince was nothing if not adaptable, so she didn't understand why it seemed to be taking so long. Of course, all his life he'd been adapting for only himself and his _own_ gains. Now he had to adapt for not only himself, but for her too. To say nothing of Anna, Kristoff, his brothers, and the kingdom he now had a share in ruling along with its subjects. She was starting to get it, she felt. At least a little better.

"If he's always seen himself as the throwaway, then remind him he isn't. Not anymore," the Duke said.

"I've tried," she answered.

"Then _keep_ trying. Show him as well why he's not the waste of space he's always been told he is," the Duke said. "Eventually _something_ you attempt will get through to him. You're dealing with a man whose fought with feelings of worthlessness his entire existence. It's not going to be an easy obstacle to get over." Elsa nodded in understanding. The Duke bowed to her. "I'll take my leave, Elsa. Give you some time with him."

"Thank you, dear Duke," she replied. He nodded and left, and she turned to Hans again.

Frozen

 _The blood dripping. The icy spears coated red. The grimace of pain, the fear in his eyes, and the sound of sword falling to the ground… She heard herself gasp. She saw him look at her, stunned, in pain. Then his eyes blazed with hatred and agony. He smiled darkly, bitterly, and exhaled a last shuddering breath before he became limp… But from within him fell the shard, and again the horrible realization… There was once a man… Perhaps there had still been…_

She jerked awake with a cry of guilt and quickly looked over at her husband. He was still asleep and she felt her heart sink. Quickly she moved to check for vital signs. She heard the heart beating, she felt his breath against her skin. She didn't move, though, just laid there and told herself it was just another dream. Then sleep came… Then he was the monster…

 _She saw her sister. She didn't know why, but somehow she just knew that Anna was still carrying her baby in this dream. It was before the miscarriage. She saw her sister grinning up at Hans, proudly talking about her unborn child. Hans listened politely, of course, a smile on his face… A lie… There was no sign of his scheming, but it was what he was doing. She wasn't sure how she knew that, but she did. An urge to protect Anna shot through her and she hurried towards her sister, smiling innocently. A mask of her own. Hans held out some sort of a food or drink to Anna, she couldn't tell which, and Anna took it and this cold dread seized Elsa as every part of her screamed 'poison, poison'… Then there came the miscarriage, and in the dream, she knew exactly what had happened…_

She jolted awake again, catching her breath. Gods she hated dreams like that… Frustratedly she drew away from Hans, laying back down on her side of the bed and staring up at the roof. Maybe she needed a rest of her own, she wryly told herself. She'd have to look into it. Maybe go to Corona and spend some time with Rapunzel and Eugene along with Anna and Kristoff and Olaf. It could be good for all of them. Hans could handle Arendelle himself, but she wasn't going anywhere until her husband's attackers were caught and brought to justice. She inwardly winced. The crime for the attempted assassination of a royal was death… She hated that she disliked the idea of that so much. They had tried to kill her husband! She should be hoping for such an outcome… But she wasn't… She hated death, she decided. Fortunately, cases like that were Hans's to judge so the guilt didn't fall on her. She rolled over, looking at him. She wondered if any of the princes of the Southern Isles had ever felt guilty for doing what needed to be done…

Frozen

She woke up the next morning with a yawn and caught her breath immediately on realizing no warm body was next to her. She looked over. He was gone! Quickly she sat up, looking worriedly around. Swiftly she rose and hurried to try and find him. Just as she was nearing the door, it opened and she jumped back instinctively. She perked up, hoping it was Hans, but her hope was dashed when in came a maid. To her chagrin, it was one of the ones who spoke less than kindly about her husband.

"Oh, my lady, apologies. I thought you were still asleep. I was coming to wake you," the maid said.

"Where's my husband?" she questioned immediately.

"With Dr. Jekyll, your majesty," the maid replied, grimacing at the mention of Hans.

"Thank you," Elsa said. She'd hurry and make herself presentable, then go down to see what was happening. Had Hans really brushed it off so easily? If he had, she was letting him have it for not taking this matter as seriously as he should.

Frozen

Elsa pushed open the door to the infirmary and looked inside. Hans and Jekyll were speaking together by the window quietly. She entered and shut the door loud enough that they'd both turn. They did. Hans's gaze softened and he turned to Jekyll again. "So basically, keep it clean and wrapped for the next few days," he said.

"You're taking this disturbingly well. I hope you know that," Jekyll said.

"On the Southern Isles a gang beating or assassination was attempted practically every other month. We lost more cooks and soldiers that way…" Hans mused, looking up. "Not because they took the poison accidentally or tried to stop the beatings. More because they were the poisoners or aggressors and needed to be dealt with."

"It may be commonplace to you, Hans, but here it's a serious thing!" Elsa sharply said.

He tensed up and cringed. Oh, this might get unpleasant. Sheepishly he turned to her. "Forgive me, Elsa," he replied. But an attempted mobbing was the least of his concerns, he inwardly added.

"Do you realize that the dagger was poisoned? That you weren't supposed to survive?" Elsa said.

"Nightingale, don't get into a frenzy over this, okay," he said, smiling at her in amusement. He moved towards her, gently taking her arms and trailing his hands up and down them. "I'm here. I'm alive. I'd hope that's what matters to you most now. Don't worry about me. This will be resolved. If anything, I actually feel a bit more at home in Arendelle now." She stared at him in disbelief. He chuckled and left, and Elsa gave Jekyll a look that screamed 'is he serious'.

Jekyll shrugged and said, "You're the one who married him, your Majesty. You know him better than I do." The prince was certainly… odd. In slightly disturbing ways. Elsa sighed, shoulders sagging, then shook her head hopelessly and went after her husband.

Frozen

"You need to stop making this so casual," she said to him as she caught up.

"I think, Elsa, it was the _lack_ of attempted assassinations that had me on edge here," he teased. For whatever reason, he felt a lot calmer now. He'd always been skeptical about perfection, so now that finally something happened that was anything but, he could relax.

"I wish I could understand you," she said to him. She remembered when he'd said those words to her long ago…

He smiled at her gently. "Then I fear I'd get boring to you, Snow Queen," he replied.

"Don't bet on it," Elsa replied, taking his hand. "I sent Francis and Erik out to search for the assassin."

"More than just them, I hope," Hans said.

"No, but they're not exactly fools, Hans," she replied, smiling. "They probably had the foresight to grab Eugene and a few men."

"True," Hans admitted. "Now, let's tend to our duties, shall we?" She smiled at him, though worry was in her eyes, and nodded.

Frozen

"How are you doing, your highness?" Dr. Jekyll questioned Anna when she came to see him.

"Not good, but I'm making it," Anna answered.

"There may still be…" he began.

"Don't tell me there's hope. Please," Anna pled.

"Very rarely is it a one-hundred percent guarantee you'll never conceive again," Jekyll said. "Had it been a tubule pregnancy, there would be no hope, but it wasn't."

She shook her head. He sighed. She wasn't willing to believe him, he knew. He supposed that might be a good thing, for her not to get her hopes up. Then if it did happen, she'd be overjoyed, and if it didn't, then she wouldn't be more disappointed than she was now. "Anyway, let's…" he began.

"What went wrong?" Anna asked, cutting him off.

Jekyll paused, surprised, then sat back with a sigh, thinking. "Many things could have gone wrong, your highness. Perhaps your husband's… Your body might have rejected the seed," Jekyll said. Anna gave him a look. "Maybe it suffered some form of trauma and couldn't weather it. If you'd been sick, it could have been that. If…"

"If I'd been poisoned?" Anna asked. Jekyll started, sitting up straight with eyes wide. There was silence a long time as she looked evenly at him.

"Where did that come from?" Jekyll finally dared to ask.

Anna looked down. "It's nothing. Just… just gossip among the servants," she said.

"If you were poisoned, that is a very, very serious matter. Where did they get that idea from?" Jekyll asked.

"I don't know, doctor," Anna admitted.

"Is there a perpetrator they have in mind?" Jekyll questioned.

"I don't know. I didn't hear," she answered. "The idea of it just upset me so much that I left and set up this appointment with you to see if maybe… if maybe you could tell…"

"I don't think I'll be able to physically, but I can try through deduction. When was it that you began to feel the stomach pain? Was it after a meal? After drinking something? Or was it just random?" Jekyll asked.

"It was before dinner," Anna replied. "I don't think I'd eaten since breakfast, but… I think I had something to drink."

"Do you remember what?" Jekyll asked.

"Just tea," Anna replied.

"Then if it was poison, that beverage is suspect. Who gave it to you?" Jekyll asked.

"Let's see… I was setting up Maia's… the nursery… I started to get tired and took a break, so I went to the sitting room. Hans was there and asked me if I was feeling alright. I told him I was just taking a rest and that I could really go for some tea, so…" she began before abruptly stopping, eyes widening. "No… No, it-it couldn't have been him though!"

"Can I infer he went down and made it for you then brought it back?" Jekyll asked, seemingly completely neutral.

"Well-well yes, but…" Anna began.

"I think we can put the possibility of poisoning off the table. I highly doubt Prince Hans would have done anything in that vein to hurt you," Jekyll said. "He's a good man."

"He wasn't always, though," Anna replied, obviously upset she'd looked into this. She still had doubts about Hans as it was, doubts she'd been working to banish, and now they were creeping up again and she hated them. No. No way would she ever believe Hans had done this.

"Anna, sometimes things like this just happen," Jekyll said. "I've been through your family's medical history. It's a common thing on your mother's side. I don't think there's anything else to it but that, so put this poisoning nonsense out of your head, okay? What gain could anyone have from doing that to you? It's Elsa's child who will be heir to the throne."

"But mine if she never has one," Anna pointed out.

"Point taken, and maybe if she had stayed single there would be a reason for someone to believe she'd never have a child, but she didn't," Jekyll said. "At the end of the day, fact of the matter is that when a man and a woman play those unspeakable games we seem to enjoy with one another so much, babies happen."

"Fact of the matter is, Elsa's not like other women. Given her powers, she's not even sure she _could_ carry a child. She thinks her womb would be too cold or too hostile and that the baby wouldn't stand a chance," Anna replied.

"Well if that's the case, the royal line of Arendelle isn't in very good shape now, is it?" Jekyll replied. "But if I were you, or her, I wouldn't start worrying about such things just yet. There's still plenty of time before you need to start fretting. Besides, her husband's own abilities might be able to stave off the negative effects of her powers on her womb."

"Maybe… Thank you, doctor," Anna said. "Is there no way you can be sure it wasn't poison?"

"It's been too long now," Jekyll answered. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she replied. She doubted that was the cause anyway. After all, Jekyll was right. Miscarriages hadn't exactly been rare in her family. But there was still that lingering chance and doubt... Rising, she left.

Frozen

Anna walked out into the garden, holding her arms tightly around her with head bowed low. She was tired of hearing empty condolences and the pitying words and the biting remarks she overheard from the Council as to her 'barrenness' as they'd put it. What did _they_ know? She wasn't barren… Necessarily… Oh who was she even kidding? She wished this could all just go away. Tightly she closed her eyes.

"Princess Anna of Arendelle, we presume?" a familiar trio of voices said. She gasped looking quickly up, and started, eyes widening. The triplets!


	10. Pressing for Answers

Pressing for Answers

"Calcas, Connyn, Coth!" Anna exclaimed, racing into their arms with a sob. Tightly they caught her.

"Oh Anna, we couldn't stay away from you now," Coth said gently to her.

"When we heard about the baby… We wanted so badly to come, all of us, but we were the only ones who could get away," Calcas said.

"We might not be the best moral support, but we're something," Connyn stated, shrugging.

"I'm glad you came," Anna said, voice muffled against their clothing.

"How's Kristoff been?" Connyn asked as he and his brother drew apart.

"Horrible," Anna answered. "But he's started to get better. In no small part thanks to Hans, Eugene, Erik, and Francis's moral support. Hans's especially. He wrote a beautiful story about her… I wish _it_ could be reality…"

"How is our brother anyway?" Calcas asked.

Anna blinked then cringed. "Um… He was, _is_ , doing good, it's just, uh, we had a small incident yesterday that… He's fine!" she said, flushing.

"A small incident? How small?" Coth asked, raising an eyebrow.

Anna cringed. "He was mobbed in the streets, beaten near unconscious, and stabbed with a poisoned dagger?" she said. The triplets blinked blankly at her. Oh boy, Anna inwardly said.

"Mobbed? And beaten and poisoned?" Coth repeated. Anna nodded.

"Nothing new," Connyn brushed off. "Err, what exactly is being done in the way of finding the perpetrators in this little mob?"

"W-well, Erik, Francis, and Eugene, Rapunzel's husband, are out trying to track them down," Anna said. More questioned, really, but still.

"Uh huh, we see," Calcas said, musing something over. "Alright boys, let's go head-hunting," he said.

Anna frowned, unimpressed. "Your concern for me is touching," she said, folding her arms.

"After we pamper little sister," Calcas covered.

Anna smirked. "I'll let that one slide," she said. Together they headed inside to make the presence of the triplets known.

Frozen

Hans was the first one who became acutely aware of the change in the servants, even those who had come to like him. The whispers that died when he approached, the fearful and uneasy glances, the suspicion, the moving out of the way… The heck was happening here? Even the ones who liked him, like the stable master, were starting to seem a bit wary. It was kind of freaking him out. He entered the throne room where Elsa stood with Anna and Kristoff, making sure they had all their things together for a trip to Corona. She looked over and smiled at him. "Are you going to be alright here on your own?" Elsa asked.

"You're only gone for a week or two, love. I don't think I'll burn down the kingdom in that time," Hans replied.

"Burn, heh, powers reference," Coth said from behind Hans, smirking.

Hans frowned, glaring back at the triplets who were lingering. "They might, though," he flatly said, jerking a thumb back at his brothers. When Anna had presented them to him and Elsa, Elsa had been overjoyed. He'd been… less than enthusiastic. Not to say he'd been unhappy to see them, just less than enthusiastic. Especially given the first words from Connyn's mouth, the ones that had alerted them to their presence, were 'Tell us the truth, Elsa, does our baby brother do it for you? Because the last diaper changing story we heard from Duach hinted that Hans lacked in that area.' To which Elsa had burst into laughter and he'd sat there mortified and fighting a stubborn urge to smother or torch them all.

Elsa giggled softly. "Still sore about the lacking remark, kiddo?" Calcas asked, seizing his sibling and noogying him.

"Let me go!" Hans demanded, pulling free and fixing his hair, glaring at them. He'd thought he escaped this degradation and humiliation, dammit! They were too old for this!

"Don't worry Hans. You probably stopped lacking around puberty," Coth taunted.

"Shut up!" Hans shot.

"Behave, you," Elsa said, turning him to her and kissing him gently.

He seemed to calm at her touch and soon drew back with a smile. His smile fell as he caught a glimpse of muttering servants who were looking right at him. "Err, have the servants been acting… different lately?" he asked.

"I haven't noticed," Elsa replied, frowning.

"They've been a lot more protective over me and Anna," Kristoff admitted. "But other than that, not really."

"Have they said why they're being more protective?" Hans asked.

"No," Anna replied. "Wait… There was gossip, for a little bit, that the reason I lost the baby was because I'd been poisoned."

"Whoa, hold on, what?" the triplets said. One part of the sentence for each. Wow, they hadn't done _that_ for a while, Hans noted.

"What? Anna, why didn't you tell me?" Elsa asked, frowning concernedly. That was a very serious thing.

"It was just gossip. How would they know anyway?" Anna replied.

"It should have been looked into!" Elsa said.

"Well I went to Dr. Jekyll and asked him if it was likely. I told him the first time I started to feel the pain was right before dinner that night, and that I hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast, so that kind of ruled the possibility out. I mean, I had some tea not long before, but _that_ wasn't the cause."

"How can you be sure?" Kristoff demanded.

"Because it was Hans that made it and brought it to me," Anna replied, pointing to the prince. Hans stiffened up, eyes widening in shock. Wait, what? Oh no… He got the sinking feeling he knew why the servants had been wary around him lately. Elsa, Kristoff, and the triplets looked quickly to Hans, obviously stunned at Anna's declaration.

 _Elsa remembered the dream, then… All too clearly… Where he had done just as the rumors said._

There was suspicion in Kristoff's eyes for a moment before he seemed to kick it out with extreme prejudice. There was no way he was buying that Hans had poisoned his wife. "The heck motive would Hans have had?!" Kristoff demanded, gesturing to the prince.

"That was Jekyll's reasoning for poisoning in general," Anna replied. "I mean if Hans was still, you know, an evil son of a bit…"

"Anna!" Elsa sharply cut off.

"Dog!" she quickly covered. "If Hans was still an evil son of a dog, he'd probably get plenty of pleasure out of seeing me in anguish and pain, but he's not, or doesn't seem to be, so that's not likely. It's not like he'd have any other reason anyway. Any child of his by Elsa is the heir to the throne automatically, even if I gave birth to one first, so there's no birthright motive behind it."

"Exactly! I had nothing to gain from it and everything to lose," Hans said. "But that might explain why the servants are suddenly acting like I have the black death. Even the ones who like me are being kind of cautious lately." And had been for a while.

"Maybe it's not such a good idea to leave now," Elsa worriedly said. If gossip like this started to spread about Hans… If people started to truly believe poisoning was the cause of Anna's miscarriage, the prince wasn't in a good position. All that would keep him from being lynched by the masses was the fact there was no motive, and even that might not be enough in the wake of the whole mob and poisoned dagger thing, and the servants starting to get edgy… To say nothing of his history of treachery and resentment towards her and Anna, and the fact he was the one who had given her sister the only item that could possibly have been poisoned.

"I'll handle it, Elsa, me and the triplets," he assured. They had ways. "Go, have fun in Corona. I got my vacation, for the most part, now you can get yours. By the time you come back, we'll have it all squared away."

"You're not going to use Southern Isles methods, are you?" she deadpanned.

Hans blinked then flushed, grinning innocently and shrugging. The triplets exchanged looks and put on blameless expressions. She face-palmed. "It won't be that extreme!" Hans said. "Look, I don't plan on becoming the man my father was anytime soon. They'll be treated fairly and justly. Listen, I've had experience rooting out things like this. Back then I didn't handle it in the best of ways, sure, but I've improved since then."

"You know that as long as no one is hurt or killed I'll be fine with it," Elsa said with a sigh. Well, the ones who had orchestrated the mob—which had probably been a distraction so someone could come by with the dagger—would have to die, she supposed, but she kind of hoped it didn't come to that. "I trust you to deal with them fairly. Now impress me and deal with them compassionately too." Instead of heavy-handing or terrifying them, she inwardly added. Who knew? If Hans ruled Arendelle well on his own, maybe the qualms the subjects had, and the servants, would wash away. Hans's taking the throne was kind of a huge test of trust for them. They didn't like it, perhaps they even feared it—he would be acting with no input from her—but if it went okay, things would be a lot easier in future.

"It'll be alright," he promised. He kissed her softly. "Have fun, Snow Queen," he said, smiling at her. She smiled back, though inwardly she was more than a little uneasy. She really, really hoped this went well…

Frozen

Hans watched from a tower, his brothers, Kay, and Gerda at his back, as the ship disappeared. As soon as it did, he said, "Kai, Gerda, round up every single servant in this castle and have them gather in the throne room. Now."

"Please don't do something you'll regret, my lord," Gerda pled.

"Why do you all assume I'm going to do something evil? I mean come on, give me some credit. I have a policy. Do nothing my father ever did and it'll all be good. Well, except for the things he did right, but that's not the point! Look, just do it," he said, frowning at them.

"Right away, your majesty," Kai agreed, bowing and hurrying off with Gerda.

Hans breathed a sigh and thought this over. This could go one of two ways. Either he terrified them all so much that he got nothing, or he somehow managed to put them at ease and find what he was looking for. If he got nothing, he'd move onto plan B. Whatever plan B would be. "Right. Now that that's done, Connyn, Coth, we're going head hunting," Calcas said.

"What part of don't do something you'll regret didn't you get?" Hans said.

"We'll bring them back alive, baby brother, don't worry," Coth said, waving to their brother with a smirk.

"Please do," Hans all but pled.

"We wouldn't ruin your happiness like that, Hans. Once upon a time, maybe, but not now," Connyn assured as they left. Hans sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose. Oh he hoped this turned out okay.

Frozen

Hans stared into a mirror uneasily, holding his crown in his hands. Wow, he was really not ready for this. He sighed, looking at said crown. It just seemed wrong to wear it when Elsa wasn't there with him… Or maybe he was just that scared of himself and his desires for power and where having it might take him. Again. But he could handle it… Right? He looked back up at the mirror determinedly and put it on his head. He hated how right it felt… And how his reflection seemed to be changing… Not physically, just… Shaking his head, he turned the mirror away. He hated mirrors. He hated them _so_ much.

"King Hans?" Kai asked from the door.

"King-consort," Hans corrected, though only half-heartedly. He really should just get used to the title of king.

"The servants are assembled," Kai said.

"How are they?" Hans asked.

"Frightened," Kai admitted. "Very frightened."

"Yeah… Guess they have a right to be," Hans replied, looking down and to the side. He should just resign himself to the fact he'd always be the terror in the night. Fine. He could work with that. "The Wicked Prince, right?" he said.

"Sir…" Kai began.

"Thank you, Kai," Hans said, walking quickly by. Kai watched worriedly after him then sighed, following the prince. When Hans had said all the servants, he'd meant every single occupant in this castle.

Frozen

The king, king-consort that was hereafter known as king, that is, walked into the throne room and straight to the throne without looking at any of the servants that were huddled together in an uneasy mass. He noted to himself that it wasn't unlikely one of them had spread the rumor of Anna being poisoned. If he played his cards right, maybe he could solve this mystery in a sitting. He doubted it, but maybe. He sat upon the throne and looked over them all commandingly, authoritatively. They fell silent, watching him with wide eyes. "As you're aware, the reigning monarch will be away for some time. In her stead, I take on the role." They were quiet. "I presume there are objections?" Hans said.

Silence. "None, my king," a servant finally and bitterly said. "We suppose now we will see your true colors."

"Yes. Yes, you will," Hans replied, resisting the urge to give the speaker a dark look. "And whatever you see, you will report to the queen." Apparently the statement took them aback, because there were surprised murmurs before they fell quiet again. "Now, to business. It's come to my attention that certain rumors have been spread among you. It's said that I poisoned the princess and caused her miscarriage, correct?"

At first there was no answer. Kai glanced around then sighed. "Correct, my lord," he said. The others gave him spiteful glares.

"Don't look at him like that," Hans said. "At least _one_ of you has a spine. Let's cut right to it. Who believes I murdered the princess's unborn child?" As expected, no one reacted. Hans pinched the bridge of his nose. Unbelievable. "You're really that scared of me, aren't you?" he said to them, shaking his head. Silence again, but now he saw slight unease and guilt too. "I'm not going to hurt any of you," he said in a gentler tone, looking tired. I just want to know so that I can give you a chance to explain why you believe I did this and what you heard, then try to explain my side of what happened. What you believe from then on is up to you. It's hardly my right to bring harm to my wife's servants anyway."

Again, as expected, it was a servant who actually liked him that spoke first. Namely the stable master. It seemed no one would confess to whether they believed the gossip, but they were willing to share the rumors. "King Hans, forgive us, your majesty, but that such an accusation was put against you… What I heard was that you poisoned her with a coated dagger." Someone had got their signals crossed, Hans inwardly noted.

"What was my motive?" the Admiral King asked.

"There was none, sir, so I assume petty spite," the stable master answered.

"Any other renditions?" Hans asked.

"Poison in her food or drink," another servant said. "Because you were afraid Queen Elsa, out of love for her sister and perhaps spite of you, would name Anna's baby heir to the throne regardless of whether the queen gave birth to a child of her own in future." Hans blinked. That… actually kind of would make sense for a motive, he realized. Hmm, maybe he was sinking himself deeper instead of fixing it.

"I heard it was while Princess Anna slept that you acted, but you did not poison her in the version I heard. You drugged both her and her husband so they wouldn't awaken and then ensured the unborn child's demise. You caused its death with your own hand," another said.

Wow, this just got darker and darker, Hans inwardly noted. He almost dreaded to hear other versions. "I heard the child was not Anna's husband's. It was yours. You wanted to be rid of the evidence and so ensured the babe never saw the light," another icily said. Hans sat up straight. Oh, he'd nailed it. That was more than just a serious accusation. It played right into the rumors of his depravity and violence. He didn't even want to ask whether the 'affair' had been consensual or not. He was banking on not.

"Why are you all so depraved?!" he found himself blurting before he could shut his mouth. They winced, looking slightly guilty. "I mean seriously? Come on! Alright, any other versions or do I even dare ask?"

"Those rumors, or similar ones with the same basic story, encompass every rumor, your Majesty," the palace crier stated. Okay, then here he went…

Frozen

"Alright, it seems I'm officially unofficially on trial, so let's start with this rumor where I drugged them to sleep and destroyed the baby myself. Can anyone confirm or deny the possibility of this?" Hans said.

"I can confirm that rumor is ludicrous. There were no signs of any such procedure being carried out. Besides, Princess Anna was awakened by labor pains when the miscarriage happened. The King would have had no opportunity to get away before she saw him and realized what he'd done," Jekyll stated firmly. "And while I'm debunking rumors, the poisoned dagger one is nonsense. For one, how would she not have felt him stabbing or cutting her? Even in sleep she would most likely have awakened at the sensation. For two, there was no sign of injury on her and she never presented to me with a cut or stab wound. For three, it was the king-consort who was poisoned with a dagger when a mob in town set upon him."

"As to this nonsense about Elsa naming her sister's child heir to the throne out of love for her and spite of Hans, it didn't happen. She has said many times any child she may birth will be heir. Aside from that, Queen Elsa has brought no complaint against her husband to even her closest confidants," Gerda said.

"That can be excused by her feeling too great of shame," Jekyll pointed out.

"Whose side are you on?" Kai demanded.

"Let me finish and you'll see. Not once has the Queen presented to me with any signs of abuse and certainly no signs of being molested! I've been here only a short while, but I've spoken to physicians who have tended her before me, since her marriage to the King, and all of them say the same. No bruising, no broken or healing bones, no unusual injuries. And from my own personal examination of her, there was no sign of unusual trauma to her reproductive organs."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, step back! What?! What are you _saying_?! You've _seen_ those?!" Hans demanded.

"Why yes," Jekyll replied obliviously. "It's becoming a more common practice these days for a sexually active woman to have a regular exam of such places, and…"

"Okay, you need to shut up like now," Hans said, scowling and looking ready to murder. Jekyll started then caught on, eyes widening. Immediately he shut his mouth, tensing up slightly. Hmm, the King had quite the possessive streak, didn't he? Of course, Hans was probably aware of such practices and simply chose to pretend they never happened, but still. He was probably treading dangerously about now, so it was best he kept quiet and not mention it had been Elsa's first one. Poor thing had been horribly nervous. He'd asked her if she wanted her husband present, and she'd asked him if he wanted to lose his hands or head. He'd gotten the 'better safe than sorry' hint. Elsa had had no idea what Hans's thoughts on the matter were, especially given the practice was only still in it infancy in Arendelle, so she'd kept it quiet.

"What of the rumors of the child's poisoning, doctor?" Gerda asked, hoping Jekyll could debunk those rumors too.

"I wish I could say I knew," he answered. "But I don't. It could have been poison, but I don't believe it was. The royal family has a history of miscarriages and stillbirths. Anna's losing that baby wasn't out of the ordinary for the women in her family."

"Then she should be able to get pregnant again, should she not," the midwife pointed out.

Jekyll was quiet. "I don't know what happened that brought on that baby's miscarriage, but I fear it may have to do with her cervix or uterus, or other. I told her there may still be hope, however small, but it isn't likely," he soon said.

"More likely you butchered her for the king's pleasure!" a maid shot.

"Seriously? Why do you people always need someone to martyr?!" Hans demanded. And why did it always come back to him, dammit? "Gods I've never met a more bloodthirsty staff, and I'm from the Southern Isles!" Of course, the staff there _couldn't_ be bloodthirsty, because if they started to show signs of it they were 'disappeared' by father, or under Caleb's rule fired, but still! He had half a mind to fire them all, say for the good ones, and start anew, but that was Elsa's call, not his. They were silent, seeming ashamed. Good.

"Anna's pregnancy terminated, there is something wrong within her that makes her likelihood of having a successful pregnancy very low, that's all there is to it. It was nothing but misfortune," Jekyll stated calmly, thankful Hans had put a stop to any potential revolt against him.

"You have a right to be concerned, all of you," Hans said. "Because if Anna was poisoned, you're right. _Only_ I could have done it." The servants started, taken aback by his statement. "I was the one that made and gave her the tea. The tea was the only thing she had that _could_ have been tainted, and I never had it out of my sight. No witnesses watched me go through the whole process of making it, the only thing that was seen was my giving it to her, and the idea that Elsa would name Anna's child heir to the throne out of love for her sister is a believable motive. Except that's not how it was. There was no reason for me to do something like that to her. I had everything to lose and nothing to gain, because even if Elsa had named Anna's child heir to the throne, what would it matter to me? For all I know neither Elsa or I can even conceive a child, and if you really don't know why that is, there's nothing I can say that will outline it for you in a way you'll understand. I know many of you don't believe I love your Queen, but I do. I didn't expect I ever would, but it happened and now here we are. And I don't plan on going anywhere."

Just then the doors burst open and all the servants turned. They gasped on seeing the three brothers of the king's, the triplets. Surprise turned to fear immediately. "We found the knifeman. Squirmy little bastard," Connyn said, smiling at Hans wickedly. "Like you used to be."

"Bite me," Hans replied, eyes narrowing. Roughly the triplets forced the man forward and threw him at the foot of the throne. He looked up, eyes blazing viciously. "Only one? Here I thought you three had a better track record than that."

"Don't patronize us, waif. We promised no bloodshed, after all," Calcas said.

"Can I just…" Coth began. He punched the man in the stomach suddenly. The man cried out in pain, doubling over. "Okay, now I feel better. Take a knife to my brother again, I'll gut you. Elsa's wishes be damned."

"Enough!" Hans ordered sharply. "Let _me_ handle this."

"Have fun, baby brother," Calcas replied as they moved to stand off to the side.

Frozen

The servants looked fearful, some covering their mouths and some not looking. Hans eyed the prisoner coldly. "Clever assassination attempt, or spur of the moment decision?" he asked.

"Go to hell!" the man shot.

"That's old news, now give me your answer," Hans replied. The prisoner was quiet. "And we're doing this," Hans said with a sigh. He looked at the man again. "I don't suppose there's a chance you'll tell me who the other attackers were?" Still silence.

"He doesn't have to. We know who they are," Calcas said.

"They've been rounded up in the courtyard. Waiting for your orders of course, Hans," Connyn said. Hans looked slightly confused at this. It took him a grand total of three seconds to figure out the game the triplets were playing. It was given away in the way the man paled to hear Connyn's words. Manipulation and mind you-know-what. Part of him wanted to reject it. The other part…

"Liars!" the captive shouted.

"If we're lying, we can just as easily make it true," Coth said. "I have a list of names here. Poorer people who suddenly became much richer the day of Hans's attack for reasons that shouldn't take long to figure out. Should I read them to you?" The captive seemed a moment terrified, eyes flicking from Hans to the triplets and back.

"No repercussions, no punishment, just answer my questions, and everything goes well," Hans said. Silence. "See, my biggest question now is how to get the information I need out of you. Interrogation methods and whatnot. I don't want to resort to that and you _definitely_ don't want me to resort to that, and I doubt you want anyone _else_ brought in for questioning if you don't speak, so how about you cooperate and just make this easier on everyone?" Hans pressed.

"Go to hell!" the man repeated.

"Yeah, I get it," Hans said.

"Have him taken to the dungeons. We'll bring in his father instead," Coth said.

"What, was forming a mob a family business?" Hans asked.

"We'll soon find out," Calcas replied, heading out.

"No! No, my Lords, please!" the man pled, cracking immediately. "My father is too old, he couldn't take this! He knows nothing of what happened or why!"

"Your Majesty…" Kai began worriedly, more than a little concerned at this point. This court was suddenly seeming too much like the Southern Isles for comfort.

"Calcas, Connyn, Coth, stop," Hans ordered seriously, standing. The captive quickly turned to the king, eyes wide. The triplets did so, smirking to one another, and turned back, masking the knowing looks. Hans turned to the knifeman. "And untie him for pete's sake." How about they not make this too much a play or spectacle.

"Very well, your majesty," Coth answered, approaching the man and cutting him loose. The man began to rub his wrists, wincing slightly.

Hans turned to the captive and watched him in silence. "You're free to go. No harm will come to you or your family or friends," Hans finally said. The man looked up at him quickly, stunned.

"What?" he asked.

"I just wanted answers. But answers aren't worth the pain it promises to bring," Hans replied. Because the temptation was proving a lot. The temptation to wear the masks that guaranteed everything… No. He could handle whatever threat came from this. If they hated him, they hated him. It wasn't like being hated was new to him. "Go," he repeated again, knowing full well he could very well be letting his future assassin go free. Judging by the looks the triplets were giving him, they weren't impressed. They believed he was risking his life needlessly. He probably was.

"The man should be put to death," Connyn said.

"His family and friends can be left alone, even the mob can be forgiven—I mean, they were all dirt poor and their bribery sum was no trifle amount—but this man is the one who came at you with purpose, a poisoned knife in his hand with intent to kill you. He can claim mob mentality all he wants, but you don't need a confession to know that the swarm attacking you was just a distraction for him to get close," Coth agreed.

"No, I don't," Hans admitted, glaring at the man, whose eyes widened slightly. "But I've always liked challenges."

"You're a married man now, brother," Calcas said. "When you believed that you had no one, 'liking challenges' was a good excuse. Now not so much."

"Then how's this? I'm sparing him because I don't want to be our father, even if it gets me nothing but an early grave," Hans said, sharply looking at his siblings. They were quiet. That was about the best excuse their brother could have, they knew.

"You've grown, baby brother. It becomes you," Calcas finally said, tone markedly softer, a smile parting his lips sadly.

"Once upon a time I believed that if any one of us would follow in father's footsteps precisely, it would be you… I see now that you'll never be the monster that was our sire," Connyn said.

"The monster he was forced to be," Coth quietly corrected. Connyn winced at the remark. Calcas closed his eyes. Hans turned back to the captive, who looked unsure what to think or do. Of course, the same could be said of the servants witnessing this.

"Go," Hans said once more. The man rose, looking at him in disbelief, then turned and left the throne room swiftly. Hans turned to the servants. "You're all dismissed. I wanted a chance to share my side of things, and I have. Whether you believe me guilty of the death of Anna's baby or not, that's up to you. I have no ill will against any of you," he said. After a moment, one by one the servants started to leave. Kai watched Hans silently as the young king went to his brothers to discuss matters. It seemed the Chameleon Prince would never lose his masks… but Hans certainly used them in better ways these days than he had in the past. Thank the gods for that.


	11. Insidious Plot

Insidious Plot

Hans was about halfway through drafting letters to various rulers of other kingdoms who wished to come to Arendelle for diplomatic discussion when he heard the door open and quickly looked over, eyes narrowed guardedly in case of another assassination attempt. To his surprise, there stood Dr. Jekyll. "Henry," he greeted, turning back to the letters. The young ruler read over each one carefully, cross-examining them with various sources to make sure they were as accurate and diplomatically sound as they could be.

"I came to say I very much admired the way you dealt with the captive your brothers brought back," Jekyll said. "Not many men would have done the same for a would-be assassin."

"I probably shouldn't have," Hans dryly said.

"But you chose to because you were afraid to become a monster?" Jekyll asked.

"Maybe… I don't know," Hans answered.

Jekyll was quiet. "You certainly handled your monster better than I did," he soon said.

Hans glanced over at him then sighed. "Hyde is dead and buried. You're free of him," he said. "And if we're arguing monsters, yours was an unwanted part of you. Mine wasn't."

"Will I ever be truly free of Hyde, I wonder...?" Jekyll said. "I've had dreams about him. Nightmares, more like it. About the fate that would have been mine had you and your friends not come… Laid to rest in an unmarked grave as befits a murderer who should not be remembered. I would be damned. Do you know the rites for men like him? 'May no one mourn the passing of this soul', or something similar... The only ones who ever would have known that it was a man not a monster who'd been lain there, would have been my friends and servants. A good man imprisoned in the body of a criminal, and given a murderer's burial. Lost to the ages… But then I suppose Jekyll would have been gone by then…I think I would have overdosed, trying to get him back for the last time. I would have had nothing to lose. Either I lived and was Jekyll once more, or I died and Hyde died with me."

"You don't look like you've been sleeping," Hans remarked to him gently.

"No… I haven't," Jekyll answered. "I got in contact with my friend Utterson, you know. At least he may know I still live so he need not mourn at the grave of one who was in no part me anymore… I killed so many…"

" _Hyde_ did," Hans said.

"How can I know I didn't?" Jekyll asked. "There would be blackout periods, where I would become Hyde. Long before the potions and serums. Long before I gave him another form and he was still just me with another personality."

"It was still Hyde," Hans said. "He may have looked like Jekyll, but he wasn't."

"He was," Jekyll insisted. "I didn't stop being Jekyll, I just…"

"I know," Hans said. "It's a fine line sometimes."

"And you? Do you consider the monstrous part of yourself another being? Because from what I have been told, and what I have gleaned, the monster was nothing like Hans Westergaard."

"Hans Westergaard was nothing like Hans Andersen," Hans corrected, ruefully smiling. Maybe that was part of the reason for his pseudonym. "But no. I _am_ that monster. I'll always be. Nothing that I did was done without my understanding full well what I was doing. I never blacked out. I never read or heard of some cruel thing a wicked little boy had done, and shook my head scornfully at that little boy too before realizing that that cruel thing happened around the time of a blackout."

Jekyll smiled weakly, looking towards the window. "I suppose," he said.

"Hyde is gone," Hans said.

"But not the things he did or the legacy he left," Jekyll answered. "And this mirror you speak of… Who's to say this 'Carabis', was it, can't capture the essence of him and restore him? Hyde was never truly a man. He was born from no woman's womb. He only came to life for the mirror's essence, so technically he is the shards of the mirror finding a tangible form. I _gave_ them a tangible form. Which means its master can call it back."

"If you don't tell the wicked troll, I won't tell," Hans replied, smirking. Jekyll did bring up a concerning point, though. It was all theory of course, but you could never tell with Carabis. Say what you would about him, but Hans was kind of impressed with his mind games… He tensed, cringing slightly. Ooh, that sounded more like the old him and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He should probably go to sleep before the cruel aspects of him crept from the dark of the night and started permeating his mind until he decided it wouldn't be _so_ bad to one day try a little psychological torture in the same vein as Carabis.

Jekyll chuckled and turned to Hans. "You should go to bed," he said.

"I could say the same to you," Hans replied. "Gerda swears by hot milk to help you sleep."

"Perhaps I'll try it," Jekyll stated, rising. "Goodnight, Hans."

"Goodnight, Henry," Hans replied. He'd finish up this last letter then head to bed himself.

Frozen

Five minutes later, Hans rose from the desk and went towards the door to head for his and Elsa's room. He reached for the knob then suddenly stopped. There was a sound outside. He stepped back swiftly. That… couldn't be good. He frowned, eyes narrowed, then took hold of the door and pulled it open. He hardly had time to gasp before he found a dagger at his throat. The man the triplets had brought, he saw immediately. The one he'd let go! The would-be assassin's eyes blazed, but Hans stayed calm. "Think very, very carefully about this," he warned him evenly. The man was silent, staring at him. Hans saw unease. He didn't question why, he just took the opportunity and suddenly reached up, seizing the other man's wrist in a painful grasp. The man gave a sound of pain. Hans squeezed tighter until the other dropped the blade with a gasp, then threw the wrist down in annoyance. The man held it quietly, looking away from him with eyes closed. The king watched a moment then sighed. "I wish none of you ill will, not you or your family. Just go home."

Sharply the other man looked at him. "You wanted answers," he finally said. Hans tensed, straightening up slightly. "I'll give them to you," the man said.

Hans was quiet. "Did you act of your own accord?" he soon questioned.

"No," the man answered. He turned to Hans. "I acted on behalf of the Council."

"Council? What Council?" Hans asked.

"Yours," the man answered. "Queen Elsa's, rather."

Hans felt a chill shoot down his spine, eyes widening in shock. "What?" he finally asked.

The would-be assassin looked away again, closing his eyes. "It is they who spread the rumor you had caused the Princess's miscarriage. It was they who started the rumors that you had raped and beaten the queen until she subjected herself to you. It was they who started to sew the seeds of doubt in the minds of the people and the servants… I dared to speak against them, call them out on their lies before everyone without hesitation. When the queen fled, freezing Arendelle in her wake, my family would have died if not for you, so I spoke for you… And then they found my father and my mother, and they threatened me with their lives and the lives of whoever else of my family they could find if I did not do a task for them. They ordered me to kill you. I wanted answers, but they threatened to slit my mother's throat if I asked questions. They threatened to kill them both if I ever told you anything… I have doomed my family for your sake and Queen Elsa's, because I can't stay silent anymore. The Council plots against you, my lord. And I fear against the queen too… They won't rest until they've turned the world against you or seen you fall," he soon said.

Hans was quiet, now on high alert. "Your family will be alright," he soon said.

The man shook his head with a sad smile. "No. They won't," he answered.

Hans was quiet. "Dare I ask how you know?" he soon said.

"They're already dead. My father, my mother, my brothers and sisters… Burned alive in the home… They will blame it on you," the man said.

"And you?" Hans asked.

"They're waiting for me. Or someone is," the man answered.

"Then stay here where you'll be safe," Hans said. "You're all that can clear my name."

"I won't be able to clear your name, and you can't protect me… But there is a wife. Pregnant with our first child. We live by the shore. It's peaceful there, beautiful… They're searching for her to take her from me as well," the man said. He turned to Hans. "The three men who found me, your brothers… the Council doesn't know they're here. There was no fanfare, they stayed only briefly before setting out to headhunt, they're as invisible as it can get. Will you send them to find and protect her? Will you do that for me? I know I have no place to ask, but…"

"I'll send them for you," Hans cut off.

The man nodded and bowed his head. "Thank you," he soon said.

"I can protect you," Hans said again.

The man smiled then went to the door. He reached out then dragged something inside. Hans's eyes widened. A body?! Another assassin... His mouth dropped in shock. The man looked down at the figure, shaking his head ruefully. "I died protecting you," he soon said, looking up at Hans. Hans stared at him in disbelief, stunned. The man wavered slightly and Hans quickly helped him to a chair, sitting him down. It was then that he felt something warm and looked down at his gloves, stained with blood that was tainted with black. Poison… He looked up at the man once more, but he was gone. A chill raced up Hans's spine. Oh, it was the Southern Isles all over again. He moved back from the body then turned and raced out of the study, looking around. Determinedly he raced to find Jekyll and Kai to help him deal with the bodies, and to find the triplets and send them after the wife the man had mentioned.

 _Do not let the Council know you know… Never let them know you know._

Frozen

The triplets had set out instantly, almost before Hans had finished the story. Now he, Jekyll, Kai, and Gerda hurried to get the two bodies somewhere where they wouldn't be immediately noticed. "Sir, what do we do?" Gerda fearfully asked. They couldn't very well smuggle them all the way to the morgue! Hans was quiet. He didn't know. As much as he would like to give them a decent burial, at least the man who had come to him with the warning, he didn't think it was going to happen…

"Put them down and step back," Hans finally said. They did so. Hans looked them over then suddenly called forth fire, engulfing the two corpses. Gerda gave a small scream, covering her mouth.

"My gods!" Kai exclaimed, looking quickly away and holding Gerda near. Jekyll stared quietly. Gerda began to cry softly.

"Let the man's ashes join the ashes of his family," Hans finally said tiredly. He wished he could have given the widow closure… This way, at least, it ensured the body wasn't traced back to the castle. He looked to the body of the nameless assassin. "Let him join them too," he said. He knew nothing about the nameless one, but he deserved _something_. Especially if, like the other, he'd been threatened into this ridiculousness.

"You deal with such matters like an old hand, child," Jekyll remarked.

"Because I am," Hans answered, letting the 'child' remark slip. Jekyll used it to get under his skin anyway. "I'm tasking you to take care of the ashes."

"I will, Hans," Jekyll answered.

"As far as any of you are concerned, this never happened," Hans stated to them all. Their silence was their confirmation.

"What of the Council, your highness?" Kai asked. "If they've made it their mission to carry out a coup…"

"I tried to play this game Arendelle's way. I'll play it a little while longer… But if in the end it doesn't seem to be working, then I'm handling it personally, and this game will go from being played by Arendelle's rules to being played by the rules of the Isles in the most horrible and dark respects," Hans menacingly stated. He wasn't about to lose this home now. Uneasily, the other three watched him…

Frozen

"Hans? Hans," a voice said urgently, slowly rousing the sleeping prince. Hans groaned, opening an eye tiredly. Wait… that voice wasn't supposed to be here.

He gasped, sitting up straight and seizing a knife. The speaker leapt back in alarm. Hans blinked blankly and shook his head. "Jekyll?" he demanded. "What the heck are you doing in my room?"

"We have a problem," he replied.

"A problem? What do you mean a problem?" Hans asked.

"The burning building has been discovered. The dead man's family… Their screams pierced the night… The Council has said it was your doing… That they were made an example of in vengeance for the attack on you in town," Jekyll said.

Hans stiffened, eyes widening. Oh no… After a moment, he uneasily rose. "What am I facing?" he asked.

Jekyll shifted uneasily, rubbing his arms. "It… might be wise if you avoid contact with the people until your wife comes back."

"What's being discussed?" Hans pressed.

Jekyll drew a breath. "Revolt, assassination, exile, execution, torture? It might be better to ask what _hasn't_ been discussed," he answered.

"What evidence has the Council set up against me?!" Hans demanded.

"The fact the building was burned to ash with the family of someone who tried to kill you still alive inside, was enough," Jekyll answered. "And the fact a cufflink of yours was found at the scene…" He removed the cufflink and gave it to the prince, who stared at it. "I was the one called to examine the bodies… It was a horrible sight, my Lord. Horrible… There were children among the corpses…" Hans was quiet. When the flip had any of the Council gotten into his room to get a cufflink, he inwardly panicked? And when the flip had they gone full psycho?! "Your Majesty?" Jekyll asked after a moment.

"When people get caught up in mob mentality, there's not exactly much rational thinking going on. They always want a scapegoat, always. It seems I'm it… Figure out as much as you can about everything, but don't rub the Council wrong. Stay invisible, Jekyll, as well as you can… They don't want to get their own hands dirty. They're trying to turn the people on me to get _them_ to do the work for them. Given the way you're describing things, it's working," Hans gravely said. Jekyll nodded then quickly left to start to do a bit of investigating.

Frozen

Hans paced agitatedly inside he castle, rubbing his arms. Outside he could hear the sounds of outraged citizens and winced. It seemed the headlines were hot today in the paper. Things couldn't keep on like this. He looked out the window subtly and grimaced. The guards were doing all they could to keep the masses at bay, but they were starting to lose. The triplets hadn't come back, Hans noted. Probably because they couldn't. He hoped they'd found the pregnant woman that had been the man's wife, at least… He swallowed and turned quickly on hearing someone enter. Jekyll. "Tell me you have information," he said.

"They're still unaware of the presence of your brothers. They're playing it subtle and safe. As to the Council, they're discussing ways to protect you, to make the castle safe, etc," Jekyll said. "They're playing their roles well… But that's just what they are. Roles. I was able to sneak a peek at some messages they've been exchanging… This has been in planning longer than you know." Hans looked disgusted with himself for not figuring it out sooner, and Jekyll swallowed, bowing his head.

"How long?" Hans finally asked.

"Since the day they learned Elsa had chosen you to be her king-consort," Jekyll answered. "The headlines blatantly flaunt the story of the 'Murderer King' who is suspect in not only the deaths of a family burned alive in their home, but the death of his sister-in-law's unborn child as well."

"Will they listen to you if you tell them I couldn't have done it?" Hans asked quietly. They sure as heck wouldn't listen to _him_.

Jekyll was quiet. "No," he finally answered. "I'm more a stranger in this place than you are."

Hans nodded, thinking. "They trust and love Elsa," he soon said.

"You are her husband. Will they trust her, really, or assume she's biased?" Jekyll asked.

"Given one of the more common rumors spread about me is that I raped her to blackmail my way to the throne, I'm willing to bet they'll believe her," Hans answered.

"I thought you said the people were fond of you," Jekyll stated.

"It only takes the ones who aren't," Hans stated. You couldn't be loved by everyone, especially when rumors like this were spreading about you. "What of the servants?"

"Not a one speaks against you," Jekyll replied, smiling weakly. "You won them completely when you spared the would-be assassin and let him go. They don't believe for a moment you caused that fire. Most know for sure you were here anyway. While there may be those of them who aren't fond of you, they certainly don't think you guilty of any of the charges brought against you." Hans nodded. "What's your plan?" Jekyll asked after Hans was silent a long while.

Hans shifted. "Honestly? To give the Council what they want. At least partially," he answered. "It may pacify the people too."

"What do you mean?" Jekyll asked.

"You'll see," Hans said. "I'll play the game by Arendelle's rules, but I'll cheat by means of the Southern Isles. They aren't getting control over this land for an hour let alone a week. I give them even that much, and for all I know they'll have me killed before Elsa gets back and then attempt a coup under the premise she doesn't know what she's doing, her marriage to me being the key evidence."

"You're a cynical one, aren't you?" Jekyll replied, shaking his head.

"Yeah. Big time," Hans replied. Plots were like weeds. You had to pull them out by the root, or at least get most of the root. Weaken it immediately.

"Is there anyone but them you can hand power to?" Jekyll asked. Hans was quiet. "Is there _any_ Council member you trust?" he pressed. Hans shook his head. He was dealing with this alone this time… He didn't want the triplets coming back in the wake of all this and alerting the Council to their presence. "I'll go out and tell them… Something… I'll figure it out," Jekyll said. "Hopefully whatever I say will keep them at bay. At _least_ for a time. I'll handle things however they come." He hoped. Hans nodded.

Frozen

When Jekyll returned, obviously flustered and looking like he'd narrowly escaped something, he found Hans conversing with some guards in hushed and serious tones. The guards looked highly uneasy, like they wanted to refuse but couldn't. "Your Majesty?" Jekyll said.

Hans looked over and winced. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Barely," Jekyll replied.

"No mercy for the wicked?" Hans asked.

"I tried to tell them you couldn't have done it, but I had only my word and yours. They didn't listen to me. I was very nearly mobbed in your place, but fortunately some palace servants corroborated my story and some measure of common sense began to kick in. People began to second-guess themselves and their belief that you were the cause of the fire and miscarriage. It was enough to dissipate the crowds a little, but to say they believe us? It's a stretch. A big one. There are some of the mob still out there baying for blood. They're very protective of their Queen and Princess," Jekyll answered.

"Elsa and Anna are loved very much here," Hans said with a soft but worried smile.

"What's your plan, my liege?" Jekyll questioned.

"Satisfy their desire for action while at the same time retaining control over kingdom matters," Hans answered.

Jekyll was quiet. "I don't follow," he finally said, trying to figure it out but not able to.

"You will," Hans answered. He turned to the guards. "You know what you need to do," he said to them.

"Your Majesty, Queen Elsa will be incensed," a guard argued.

"Imagine how much worse she'll be if she comes back only to learn her husband's been lynched by a mob and the Council is now in power," Hans bluntly replied. "Look, I'll deal with my wife. You were just following my orders."

"Couldn't you order something simple like crowd control. Or death for the ornery citizens or Council?" the other guard said.

"Yes, because mass executing a mob trying to express an opinion looks so good on Arendelle's record," Hans said.

"They aren't trying to express an opinion, they just want to make noise!" the first guard said. And probably see some bloodshed too for gods only knew what reason.

"Just arrest me and throw me in the dungeons already!" Hans ordered, getting annoyed at the protests. "It's not like I've never been locked up before.

"Wait, what?!" Jekyll demanded. "That's your plan? Arrest yourself? Are you mad, boy?"

Hans cringed and looked over at the Doctor. "It'll give the crowds the satisfaction of knowing that something's actually being done about this, Henry. Not to mention keep me way safer than I will be out here. The Council will let down their guard, and I may be in a better position to deal with everything. Kai will make the announcement to them and then we sit tight until Elsa gets back. I'll convey orders through Kai, the Council will have to suck it up—and they will because either way they'll have more power than they've had in a long time, even if only a little more, and it'll seem a sign of progress—and when Elsa gets back, we can work on this."

"The Council may try to usurp your power regardless. With the people in this state, riled against you, they could do so," Jekyll stated.

"That's where Southern Isles law is coming into place," Hans said in a slightly darker tone. "The Council's outlived their use anyway." Jekyll felt a slight chill at the coldness in Hans's voice. "Them I _will_ heavy hand." He turned to the guards. "You know what to do, if they start thinking they have more power than they do in this situation."

"Yes sir," the guards gravely said.

"Dare I ask?" Jekyll wondered.

"They'll be locked in the dungeons with _me_ , and believe me, that's the last thing they want right now," Hans said. Those men were terrified of him. More so than they'd ever been of Elsa, for which Elsa had been relieved. She'd never felt like she had total control, when she met with them before. He probably played the role of her enforcer more than he played the role of her king whenever they met with them now, but hey, it made her job easier and got things done that she hadn't been able to get done before.

"Isn't that against the law?" Jekyll questioned.

"Doctor, now _I'm_ making the laws," Hans said. "Southern Isles Rules, remember? Nothing lawful is going on at the moment anyway, so hey, what's a little more chaos? Gods, I'm starting to see why father got so heavy-handed at times. That's not a good thing!" Hans paused. "He always said the people needed to be controlled. That it was apparent they couldn't think for themselves, so it was up to _someone_ to decide what was the least stupid decision among all the stupid decisions. He would say that when people were by themselves, there could be cleverness and signs of intelligence, but when they mobbed, that there wasn't a functioning brain between the mass of them… I think I agree with at least that."

"When a mob mentality takes over, rational thought stops," Jekyll agreed. "He was a bit… extreme in all his other views."

"I downplayed them," Hans said. Jekyll stared in disbelief. Wow. If that was the case, then the king of the Southern Isles had _really_ been a piece of work. "In the interest of preserving this kingdom until Elsa comes home in a week, I'm willing to bend rules. And break them," Hans continued. He turned to the guards. "Let's go to the dungeon already," he said to them. He looked to Jekyll. "Send Kai to tell the people I've been imprisoned. And keep your ear to the ground when it comes to the Council. Congratulations. You're now a spy too."

"Do I get a say in this?" Jekyll asked.

"Nope. Aside from my brothers, you're about as invisible to them as it gets," Hans replied. Jekyll sighed and nodded. Hans nodded back and left. Well, _this_ was a great start to his 'kingly' career, he dryly joked to himself.


	12. The Pregnant Woman

The Pregnant Woman

(A/N: I was going to have this chapter a lot longer, except the next part that would have been included with it requires a lot of revamping. I was just going to close the Council thing in the next couple chapters, but I feel like I've built it into a big enough conspiracy that it should probably take longer to resolve then a couple more chapters. Might stretch it over a few stories and just reign the Council in here. Figuring it out. Input from reader reviews helped give me a few ideas for what to do with it that would help it be probably a lot better than it otherwise would have been anyway. Feel free to share guesses and ideas. Helps me improve the layout of my stories and the plots. A lot of things I've written in this series wouldn't have come about without you all.)

Elsa listened in shock to her servants as they narrated all that had happened in her absence. At least as far as they understood it. She now knew of the accusations against her husband, but she felt she was missing a lot of detail. She got the feeling Kai, Gerda, and Jekyll at least knew, likely the triplets as well, but the triplets weren't here and the three employees weren't speaking, so she assumed it was because they didn't want the servants to know just yet what was really going on. She'd have to find a way to get one of them alone later. "Why did nobody write me?!" she finally demanded.

"He didn't want to disturb your time with your sister and cousin, my lady," Gerda answered.

"After a second trimester miscarriage, it is often milk production will start. We could only imagine how painful that would be for Anna, and he didn't want to take you away from Corona any earlier than necessary if being there was helping her cope," Jekyll stated.

Inwardly Elsa winced. Anna had started with that only a day or two ago… It hadn't been pretty. She had been devastated… When they'd gotten back and told the triplets, the trio had taken her and Kristoff out of the castle immediately to ride with him along the shoreline searching for the wife of the man who had gone to Hans with his confession. They'd hoped it would take Anna's mind off of things, to go for a bit of an adventure. Shaking her head, she tried to focus on the present. "Is the man out of his mind?!" Elsa demanded.

"The people needed time to calm down. He didn't want you returning when the situation was so volatile. If you'd taken his side in the heat of it all, odds were that _you_ would have been rallied against too," Gerda answered.

"Who's ruling?!" she demanded.

"He conveys orders to me and I pass them along to the currently very, very resentful Council," Kai said.

"Who more than once plot... called for their taking over or his death, in case the rumors were true," Jekyll stated. And ended up in the dungeons for their troubles, which they'd regretted forever after. Even chained and helpless the young king had ways of making life for his enemies very… uncomfortable. To a bit of an extreme degree. Borderline oven extreme. To say nothing of how much the perpetrators would end up regretting it when the _triplets_ crept from the wormwood and got a hold of them.

"How is he?" Elsa asked.

"He's… been better," Kai answered.

"Kai," Elsa pled.

Kai was quiet but soon replied, "Depressed, feeling inadequate, guilt ridden, a little scared."

"How scared?" she asked.

Kai was quiet. "He's not afraid of those who curse him. He's afraid he may lose _you_ … And Anna, and Kristoff, and everything…" he answered.

"Gods… Hans," she said.

"He told me he was worried that if it turned out Anna had been poisoned, then in a way it _was_ his fault she lost her child," Jekyll said. "The Coun... He'd given her the tea." Damn, he really needed to watch his words better. The servants, for the most part, were oblivious for their own protection to what was really going on. There was no way of knowing how far the Council had come in plotting, but they'd been willing to murder an innocent family and threaten men into doing their bidding, so apparently they were confident enough to take risks like _that_.

"He's delusional," she replied, turning from them and walking swiftly towards the dungeons. Gerda followed her.

Frozen

"The people have said that they don't know who burned down the home or if Anna's miscarriage was accidental or not. That is why they speak against him, because they can't be sure he _didn't_ do it," Gerda said worriedly, as she walked with Elsa. At least now, though, when they'd had time to calm down, they were willing to listen to reason.

"Why do they hate him? What did he do?" Elsa demanded, obviously upset. "I mean, I know what he did, boy do I know what he did, but the people warmed up to him even before I did!"

"He still has their hearts… They know it and he knows it…. But in the wake of tragedy, my dear, someone is always made the scapegoat," Gerda said. "And between you and I, I think the Council may be spreading less than flattering rumors about him. And you and your sister."

Elsa paused. "What?" she asked, looking over at Gerda. Gerda took in a mental breath. Now it was time to open up a bit more. Open up not only about what Hans knew, but what _she_ knew as well.

"I don't know for sure, dear, it just… It feels wrong. Like a coup in the works. The period of time between your father's death and your ascension to the throne was tumultuous, to say the least. You and Anna never knew, of course, locked up in that palace the way you were, but it was. The Council was divided between those who loved your father and those who wanted a new age to come upon Arendelle, a revolution. Things became… They were very, very bad. Those loyal to your father started to disappear. Disappear or flee as those who wanted a new order began to bring in more and more who saw things their way. Soon those who were loyal to your father had been displaced, and the ones that remained ended up with only two choices, death or compliance. Many complied, waiting in secret for the day you rose to power. But time corrupts, and by the time you took the throne, there was little left of the proud Council that they had once been, and there was only corruption," Gerda said.

"Gerda… Why didn't you tell me this before?" Elsa asked.

"There was never much opportunity, Elsa. On your coronation day when your powers were revealed and you fled, they rejoiced. They believed, then, that you were a frightened and weak willed thing, so meek and scared that either you'd never come back, or you would but would prove to be just the puppet they wanted you to be. A figurehead, nothing more. Despite the eternal winter that you'd cast, they'd rejoiced. Until a little problem presented itself. Anna went after you, and she put her fiancé in charge. A prince of a land entirely unlike anything they were prepared to deal with."

"The Southern Isles," Elsa realized.

Gerda nodded. "The Southern Isles was no one's puppet. The King was unbreakable and terrifying. His thirteen sons… They were their father's children. They had little choice _but_ to be. Hans took over, he treated the populous with fairness and kindness, he began winning hearts and playing the golden knight, and they were watching their power slip away. If you didn't come back, they had little doubt that this was the man who would find his way to the throne. They dared believe, for a while, that he might be malleable. Until they watched him take on the Duke of Weselton. Then they prayed for your return, and you came back, and you exiled this boy who could have ruined everything for everyone on all sides of the matter except his own, and they believed they had everything they needed. Until they learned that you were no weak-willed puppet. But at least they still had their failsafe. The way they had set things up in the short time they'd been in power, ensured that while they might not be able to control you, they could keep you at bay within certain malleable boundaries. Then you married the last man on earth they ever wanted you to marry..." she said.

"Hans," Elsa finished, a grave expression on her face.

"So there you two were. A queen that would never be cowed, a king that could not be tamed. A woman who would fight to the death to defend her throne, a man who was willing to break all the rules to secure it for her. You would hear the Council but not be fooled, he wouldn't hear them at all," Gerda said.

"He would just as soon spit on them as listen to them," Elsa agreed dryly. She'd never seen such disdain as she did whenever Hans crossed paths with the Council. He patronized them at every given opportunity and called them down, turned up his nose at them. Perhaps that should have been a warning. He was a mirror that reflected what you were. He always had been and always would be… Dammit, how had she missed this? Mentally she made a note to herself to watch her husband's personality changes whenever a new ambassador or diplomat came through. He was like a dog, she inwardly joked to herself. He could sense the sort of person someone was without necessarily even realizing he could.

"Their power is all but gone. What leverage they have, they're willing to use. They're desperate to regain control. When Anna lost that child, the door was thrown wide open. The king-consort had the people's hearts, but not their trust. You had both. Hans became the weak link, the one they could leverage. I honestly believe the rumors spread about Anna's miscarriage not being an accident were started by them. Sometimes all it takes are a few seeds of doubt to spread mass revolt. They wanted to believe in him so badly, and then he betrayed the queen and princess they loved. There was hurt, confusion, and denial. He had saved their lives, after all. Surely he wasn't as horrible as the queen and the princess thought he was, and yet they knew all that had happened. Then you married him and they dared to believe it was all over and that the first time had been the last… Then comes _this_ sort of accusation against him. A second treachery against their faith in him even worse than the first, and then a third in the burning alive of an innocent family. Sometimes someone who has been hurt can be more dangerous than someone who hates. No one likes to have their heart broken or their faith shattered," Gerda said. "Then they were able to start sewing seeds of doubt as to your competency as queen. After all, you chose to marry the Traitor Prince."

"If Hans has their hearts, he can convince them he's innocent," Elsa said. So the Council was behind the rumors. She wished she could say she was more surprised, but she wasn't. "Even if the Council has been discrediting my competency because I married him, _he_ can still turn things around."

"He made a mistake. He let them lock him up. That immediately implies guilt to the people, Hans can do nothing to ease their fears from prison, and the Council has put a wall around him that might take more than an order to break," Gerda said.

"Don't bet on it," Elsa replied, reaching the door that led down to the dungeons. "And even if he can do nothing and I can do nothing, there's Anna. The mother who _lost_ the baby. Her words may hold more power now than mine and Hans's combined. No one has reason to hate and denounce him more than her. To hear her doing the opposite… It may give us back all the sway we need to at least set him free." Gerda smiled hopefully then left Elsa's company so the queen could see her husband alone. Elsa walked down, deep in thought.

Frozen

Anna rode with the triplets and Kristoff silently along the shoreline, searching for the woman they'd told her they were trying to find. She'd just… she'd needed to get away from the castle for a while… All the drama happening there, plus this whole thing with the baby… It was too much. She needed this. "It's been days since you first started searching for her. We may be too late to save her," Kristoff said gravely to Calcas.

"I know," Calcas answered. But they had to at least try. He cursed the fact the would-be assassin hadn't specified where on the shoreline his house was.

"There's only so much shore to cover. We're closing in," Connyn said. This time they weren't going back until they found it. They'd pressed on far passed the point at which they'd intended to turn back. This dark feeling had just driven them on, this feeling that there was still a chance but soon it would be gone. However, it was growing dark and they couldn't continue much longer.

"There!" Anna suddenly exclaimed, pointing. They followed her eyes and spotted a house just visible through the dusk, almost out of sight, perched on a bluff. If it had been much darker out, they would have walked right by. "That's along the shoreline, right? Or above it." Just then they heard a terrified scream and gasped.

"Oh no!" Kristoff exclaimed. Dammit, they should have been faster!

"Let's go," Coth said, galloping towards the house.

It took them coming up on ten minutes to get up there. When they did, they stopped. The windows were smashed in, so was the door, and it was eerily quiet. Fresh horse tracks led away from it, off into the forest. "We should go after them!" Kristoff said.

"We need to find the woman first!" Anna stated. Quickly she leapt off her horse and hurried into the house. "Hello? Is anyone here?! Hello?!" The triplets and Kristoff joined her quickly, listening.

"Spread out," Calcas ordered. Quickly they did so.

Coth raced up the stairs to look around up there. He threw open a door and stopped, catching his breath. Before anyone else got a chance to go search, he'd cried out in alarm. "Coth?!" Calcas called from below.

"Calcas, Connyn, hurry!" Coth shouted in response.

"What's happening?!" Connyn shouted. Immediately he headed up the stairs. Calcas was quick to follow.

"Hold on, we're coming!" Kristoff called.

"No, you and Anna don't come up, Kristoff!" Coth called before regretting it. That would just make them want to, probably.

"Like hell," Kristoff replied. Before Coth could try to explain why he didn't want them to come up, they were there, all of them. They looked in and Anna gave a cry of grief, falling to her knees. Laying on the floor, dead, was a very pregnant woman. Dead… That meant that so was the baby… She cried out again and Kristoff quickly fell at her side, pulling her close and staring, tears shining in his eyes as he swallowed.

Frozen

"We just missed her… We just missed her," Coth numbly said. They could have saved her if they'd just been a bit faster!

"Snap out of it! That woman didn't die even ten minutes ago!" Calcas shot, racing towards her and falling at her side.

"What does that have to do with anything?! She's dead!" Connyn shot.

"The baby might not be!" Calcas snapped, startling the other two. That girl was near the bursting point, dammit! He felt the stomach and tapped it. He waited with heart sinking. Suddenly, though, there was a little tap back and he cursed loudly, immediately pulling out a knife.

"What are you doing?!" Connyn freaked.

"Cutting it out!" Calcas replied.

"You don't know where to cut or what to remove!" Coth argued. "Or if that baby is even viable! Calcas! Oh god!" he exclaimed, looking away as Calcas dug the knife into the dead mother's skin.

"You could kill the baby if you're not careful!" Connyn urgently said, joining his brother and beginning to spread the cut to that they could get a better idea of how deep they were.

"If I screw up, it was dead either way," Calcas answered.

"Do you realize you're desecrating that poor woman's corpse?!" Coth demanded.

"What does _she_ care? She's dead and the baby isn't," Calcas stated. "If she could speak, she'd tell us she wanted this."

"Oh damn. Damn, damn, _damn_ ," Coth said before swiftly joining the other two and starting to help cut and hack at the stomach, feeling ill. Anna gasped, crawling forward a little way, but Kristoff held her firmly back. If that baby came out dead… He didn't think she could take it. He didn't think _he_ could. To say nothing of how messy and bloody this procedure would be. They'd basically have to butcher the woman. He damned the fact they hadn't brought along Jekyll.

Frantically the triplets worked in silence, removing parts as they went. "Here!" Calcas exclaimed, soon finding it. Swiftly they cut deeper, and grimacing, the prince reached into the mess and took hold of the little form. Oh, he was so woefully underqualified for this it wasn't even funny.

Frozen

The screaming started almost immediately, the moment air met the baby's skin. Anna gave a cry and pulled free of Kristoff, hurrying towards the triplets. He followed her swiftly. Calcas, Connyn, and Coth all gawked down at the tiny little thing that Calcas held in his hands, squirming and shrieking and looking almost alien. "Why do people _want_ these?" Connyn asked. Painfully Coth punched him. "Ow!" he exclaimed. His brother scowled at him and Connyn grinned innocently, shrugging.

"Oh god, what have I done? What do I do?!" Calcas began to panic. "Is cutting the umbilical cord dangerous for the baby and the mom both?"

"Won't matter in the mom's case. She's dead," Coth said. He looked over the umbilical cord. Oh, this wasn't safe. Or maybe it was? He couldn't remember if it was a risk for the baby. Let's see, what had Mael told them about childbirth? Um… "I think you cut… here?" Coth said. Before he could second guess himself, he cut the cord. Better the guilt be on his head if something went wrong than on the heads of the others. He winced, waiting for some sign he'd done a bad. None came. The baby continued crying and squirming. Coth yelped as he was shoved out of the way by Anna, who gazed at the tiny infant in wide-eyed wonder and hope. Was it okay? Oh thank god, it was! She gasped, covering her mouth and willing back tears.

"It's a girl," Connyn noted, taking the baby from the currently shaking and obviously highly nervous Calcas, who looked like he was afraid breathing on it would kill it. Kristoff made a grieved sound before looking away. Connyn winced, feeling a little guilty. Sheepishly he turned to the two grieving parents. Kristoff wasn't even looking anymore. Anna was in tears, torn between so badly wanting to hold the child and wanting to just run. "Anna?" Connyn gently said.

She, shivering, looked up at him. He held the newborn infant towards her and Anna sobbed, shaking her head as she gazed at the little girl. Was this what hers would have looked like, she wondered? Or similar, at least. Different eyes and hair, but still, was this…? This was what she could have had… Gasping, she took the infant from Connyn so quickly it bordered on grabbing. "Shh, shh, it's okay, little one, it's okay. Hi baby. Hi," she said in a whisper, voice wavering as she bumped it gently up and down. "No, no, no, darling, no crying. No more crying. Shh," she gently soothed, holding it near to her chest. Gently she stroked her tiny cheek with a finger. The baby turned her head, trying to suck on it, wanting to feed. Anna gasped as another painful pang shot through her, but with it one of protection and love and desperation to help the little one she cradled in her arms who had no one else anymore… For a moment, she could almost believe it was hers…

 _It could be… She has no one else, after all, and the orphanage is no place for her! She could be…_

Anna quickly shoved aside that thought. It was just hormones talking. The mothering instinct she'd never gotten a chance to use… "Anna, shut it up, something's coming!" Calcas urgently said, hearing the sounds of galloping horses on the approach. Ten minutes wasn't long. If the murderers hadn't gotten far, they could have heard the newborn screaming. Their orders from the Council would have been to kill every living thing that had belonged to the would-be assassin. They'd be riding back to take care of this missed variable.

Anna gasped, looking over, then quickly unbuttoned her gown and placed the babe to her breast. Why she'd done it, she didn't know, she didn't even know if she was doing it right, she'd have to ask Jekyll. It just seemed the baby would be quiet if she could eat! And she didn't know if the dead mother's milk could even still be taken and… She gasped at the sensation of the baby suckling and bit her lower lip, closing her eyes tightly to will back the wave of grief washing through her. She'd done it right... Her baby would never have this… Was this what it would have felt like? Of course it was, that was a stupid question, it just felt… It seemed so unbelievable… She never would have experienced this if not for what was happening now, she noted, and she hated that a part of her was almost glad things turned out this way…

Frozen

She felt eyes on her, but she didn't dare look up. She didn't want to see the look in Kristoff's eyes. She didn't want to see the look in the eyes of the triplets. There was silence. Only the sound of the baby suckling. They heard voices. "A baby was screaming," one of the people outside the house said.

"It's quiet now. The poor doomed wretch probably died," another said. "Let's just go."

"There are horses and a reindeer here that weren't before," a third stated.

"Let's just go," the second man repeated. The other two were quiet. The silent implication was clear. How about they just see nothing, hear nothing, and know nothing? What would the Council know if the baby survived or not anyway? And if no one was here after all, the poor thing was doomed regardless.

"Fine," the first relented.

"Alright," the third agreed. Soon after, the three men rode away. Calcas peered cautiously over the sill, waiting for them to disappear.

"Let's get out of here. We need to get the little one to safety," Kristoff said. Anna caught her breath at how close he sounded. She opened her eyes, looking up, and saw him right there, looking down at the suckling infant sadly and gently stroking her soft tuft of hair.

"She won't survive in an orphanage," Anna protested. "And there's no family for her to go to anymore. I mean, maybe we can find a nursing mother to take her in but…"

"Don't think I'm a blind, Anna," Kristoff said. She fell quiet, looking hurt. He met her eyes. "We've found the nursing mother who wants to take her in," he said. Her eyes widened slightly hopefully. "I'm grieving too," he softly said. He looked at the baby. "And I wanted this every bit as much as you did…" Before he could react, she suddenly moved, kissing him firmly. If she hadn't been cradling the babe to her breast, he had no doubts it would be a much heavier kiss than was being given now, and more passionate, but this one was doing just as good a job at making him swoon. He didn't bring up the fact that there was more to this thing than deciding the baby was theirs now. She knew that already, so it didn't need to be said. They'd deal with that later... He was torn... Did they want this or was this just hormones freaking out at the prospect of having the family they'd missed out on? Then again, did that count as just hormones? They'd _wanted_ a family. They couldn't have one, but now this little baby, this little girl with no one else… They could have what they'd wanted. With the perk of Anna not having to go through labor pains again. They could have their family… They'd never forget Maia… Thumbelina… Their miscarried infant… But here was a chance to start over. Here was hope… Anna could be a mom, he could be a dad… Maybe they could do this after all, in memory of their daughter… Anna finally drew away from him, tears burning her eyes, and sniffed, nuzzling him gratefully. He nuzzled lightly back. Yes. They could do this.

"Thank you," Anna whispered. Kristoff kissed her again as the baby began mumbling contentedly. Anna looked down at her again, grinning, and switched breasts before recalling the triplets were there. She cringed at the realization. Looking like a couple of deer caught in a light, she and Kristoff looked towards them. They were fidgeting and looking incredibly awkward, doing all they could to avert their eyes from the scene.

"Um… we should go," Kristoff said, rising and draping his coat over Anna.

"Yeah. Yeah, we should," Coth replied. They needed to wash the blood off themselves then bring the woman's body back anyway. She could be cremated with her husband and family and then they could focus once more on this issue of the Council and their conspiring against their brother and his wife.


	13. Council at Bay

Council at Bay

(A/N: Last chapter. There was going to be another, but I joined it in with this one as a lot of changes were made. Thank you for the reviews and support of all of you for this series. I've started work on the next one, but not sure how long it'll be before I start posting. Hopefully not long. There will likely be Edward and Louise in it, likely Franz as well. It should be quite interesting, plus we'll see how Hans will handle the goings on in Arendelle when not imprisoned.)

Hans pulled in annoyance against the shackles binding his wrists, glaring spitefully at them. He could feel his wrists chafing and had half a mind to melt them. At least he had a good range of motion, he inwardly noted to himself. His arms could move separate from one another and there was a fair bit of slack, just not enough to be all that comfortable. He looked around, a hint of fear in his eyes. Dammit he hated this place. It brought back nothing but bad memories. He heard the cell door unlocking and sharply looked towards it, eyes narrowed guardedly. If one more Council member came in here to subtly threaten—at least, they _thought_ they were being subtle—or taunt him…

"Hans," a voice said. _Her_ voice. He saw her and immediately annoyance became longing, then unease, then caution, lest whatever she had to say to him wasn't exactly pleasant. He was quiet. She approached him, concern in her expression, and he relaxed a little bit. It didn't _seem_ like she was angry or hurt, but he was still wary. She reached him and took hold of his shackled wrists, looking at them. He winced slightly at the touch, almost pulling back, and she inwardly noted to herself that she might have to be very careful here. Gods only knew what memories of being imprisoned and tortured in Cumberland were coming back to him. Perhaps that accounted for her husband's dead silence. That plus years of memories of being imprisoned and beaten on the Southern Isles if he disappointed his father or any of his brothers. That was perhaps a trauma all of the brothers had. Better to be silent and all that. She looked up at him. "Have you been hurt?" she gently asked. Almost like she was coaxing a deer, she inwardly said to herself. And sure enough, he _did_ look like the slightest wrong move would spur him to action.

He was quiet a moment, apparently judging her motives. She couldn't help but feel a bit hurt at that, but again, she needed to take into account his past traumas as well as his fears that he was going to lose her and Anna and Kristoff. He looked at his wrists again. "I have half a mind to melt these," he answered finally. "My wrists are chaffing, but other than that, I'm fine. The Council isn't stupid enough to try anything that will bring me harm. Yet. But they're working on it."

"Not anymore. I'm putting a stop to this right now," she said, frowning darkly at the shackles. Not that it was their fault her husband was in discomfort, they were just inanimate objects, but still.

"Don't," Hans warned.

She looked at him curiously. "What? Why?" she asked.

"Because I think they have a bigger-picture scheme in the works, and the last thing you need to do right now is let them know you're onto their plotting," Hans answered. "It's why none of the servants know the depths of it say for Kai, Gerda, and Jekyll. For their own protection."

"So Gerda was right," Elsa whispered. "She said that she got an uneasy feeling something like a coup was in the works. Is that what's happening here, Hans?"

Hans was quiet. "They were the ones that hired the mob that attacked me, and the assassin. They were the ones that spread the rumor that Anna's miscarriage wasn't just a miscarriage. They were the ones who told the people the burning alive of the innocent family of a would-be assassin was my doing. They're the ones who I'm willing to bet planted the rumors that I blackmailed my way into the throne," he said, confirming it all. "They're manipulative, they're slyer than I gave them credit for, and if they manage to spin this so that they're the heroes, I'm the villain, and you're the victim they're trying to defend, then things have the potential to become very, very bad. If they can convince everyone that the people of Arendelle would be protecting you and Anna by obeying them over either of you on the sly, do I even have to explain in detail the trouble we could be in?"

"Sounds typically Southern Isles, more than Arendelle," Elsa teased. "You sure you're not just narrating what _you'd_ do if you were in their place?"

"Look, maybe I'm giving them too much credit, but maybe you're the one giving them too little. Underestimating them like they underestimated you. You saw where underestimation put them. They're virtually powerless in your court now. Don't make that mistake and end up their figurehead. Sometimes paranoia _is_ better than healthy caution," Hans said seriously. "Whatever's happening with them needs to be stomped out. Immediately or as soon as is safe. While you still have the power to do it." Even then it might be too late, he inwardly noted. "Tragedy makes rulers weak. That's the cut and dry of it. In the wake of tragedy, citizens get braver and more outspoken. Normally that's good, criticism is always helpful, but when the people rally behind other entities in positions of power, like the Council, then things end badly for a weakened leader. Now that goes one of two ways. Either a corrupt ruler is dethroned, or a good one is martyred and the citizens sink themselves into a swamp so deep there's no climbing out of it ever again. One guess as to which way it'll go if they rally behind the Council."

Elsa looked more than a little concerned now. She opened her mouth to speak, but just then they heard footsteps. She gasped, turning quickly. "Who…?" she began.

"Elsa, hush! Get out of sight, hurry," Hans said. She looked at him in surprise, but apparently something had him on edge. He had a way of finding out information he had no right finding out, she'd said as much before, so she didn't argue. He seemed to have his ear to the ground in regards to the Council now anyway. More than she did. She quickly went into a corner adjacent to the door, where she wouldn't be seen unless whoever it was came right in and turned to her. She looked back at Hans and started. She could all but see him becoming the mirror…

ES

The cell door opened and Elsa caught her breath. A man stepped inside. One of the Council. He approached the prince purposefully. Subtly she slipped behind the door. He hadn't fully opened it against the wall, so there was a space behind it. Now, if the Councillor turned, he wouldn't see her unless he started searching. Hans's eyes flickered her way before turning to the Council member again, narrowed coldly. "Have you been kept well, treacherous and wicked one?" the man asked.

"You will address me as King, Councillor," Hans warned.

"I will give you no name or title, betrayer. And when you are dead, there will be no acknowledgement of your existence," the Councillor said. "Now answer me."

Hans was quiet, debating whether or not to put the man in his place before deciding the mirror wasn't what he needed to be right now. He needed to be a mask instead. The mask of submission, he decided, so his confronter felt he had more power than he did. "I've been kept, but not well," he finally answered.

"Oh?" the Councillor asked.

"Are you really going to play that game with me? Play stupid?" Hans all but sneered. "I haven't been fed since I've been down here say for once with some kind of mixture I can only assume is a mockery of what gruel is supposed to be. I've been given drink maybe once a day. It's a paradise compared to Cumberland, but somehow I doubt the Queen will be too impressed with the way I've been treated."

"At least you haven't been interrogated or tortured, prisoner. But that may change when Elsa returns and learns of what you did to that poor family. And of what you might have done to her would-have-been niece," the Councillor answered.

"You're trying to mock me? Really?" Hans said. "Unimpressed. We both know who was responsible for the murder of that family, Councillor."

"At the end of the day? You. It would have gone much better on everyone in Arendelle if you hadn't come back," the Councillor said. "None of this would have happened, then."

Elsa's eyes narrowed and she scowled on hearing this. How dare he?! She almost stepped out before checking herself and staying put. Hans was quiet, inwardly wincing. In a sense the man was right, but it was a heck of a stretch. "If you and the other members of the Council had stayed in your place instead of grabbing for more power than was yours to have, it wouldn't have happened either. But no. You just had to reach out for the throne. You just had to try and be the puppeteers. Well here's a newsflash for you. You're not. You're the puppets dangling on your own strings, fighting to get away but failing miserably. After all, puppets can't act on their own," he taunted.

He yelped as suddenly the Councillor struck him. Elsa caught her breath, covering her mouth. Oh, that did _not_ just happen. She didn't think so! That was it, she was putting her foot down the moment she'd gathered these men in her throne room. Stunned at first, Hans blinked then sharply looked at the Councillor in disbelief. "You'll rot in here, throwaway," the Council member said.

"You really think it's wise of you to taunt me right now?" Hans's replied, voice like ice as he took on the mirror again. "Do you know what happens to enemies of the Southern Isles when they dare try and rise above their stations?"

"You should have been executed the day your treachery was discovered," the Council member answered.

Darkly Hans chuckled. "I'm the last person who'll argue that," he replied. "But even if I had been, you'd never be able to usurp Elsa. Now I mean it. Get out. And don't think for a moment that you'll discredit your queen and take her power. Do you really believe you're fooling her? She knows, Councillor. And if she doesn't yet, she will very soon. You're done. You won't manipulate her subjects forever either, and soon enough it'll be you they turn against. Might be better for your health if you accept that fact and just die quietly."

Livid, the Council Member looked ready to strangle the prince with his bare hands. Violently he struck the prince again. Elsa caught her breath, covering her mouth. "How about you do the same?" the Councillor darkly said. Hans glared icily at him, teeth clenched in anger, wary about whether this was a threat. Turning, the man stormed angrily out, slamming the cell door shut behind him.

Frozen

Elsa waited until the footsteps faded, then hurried towards her husband. He turned to her, opening his mouth to say something, but she covered it with her own. He stiffened and closed his eyes as she kissed him long and tender. She drew back, after a time, and he looked at her in amazement. "We _will_ undo the Council's influence. You still have the hearts of the people," she said, gently cooling his skin where he'd been struck. "I'll see you free soon enough." Especially now.

"Be careful," he answered. "I don't think there's going to be a limit as to what they will or won't do, now."

"Then they won't be given a chance to try," she answered. "I'll have actual food and actual drink sent down to you." Turning, she started to leave when just then a messenger approached. "Um, King Hans?" he asked at the door. Elsa opened it up and the messenger started, looking at her in surprise.

"Courier," she greeted before gesturing to Hans.

"What is it?" Hans asked the man.

"A message from your brothers. They've heard of the attempted assassination against you and your subsequent discovering of the perpetrator… And releasing of him," the messenger stated. They want to know if you've lost your mind," the messenger said.

Elsa giggled. Hans looked less than impressed. "You came down here for that?" he asked.

"They subtly threaten to send another babysitter to Arendelle to watch you for a while along with the triplets who, and I quote, 'don't seem to be doing their jobs'," the messenger continued. Elsa grinned teasingly at Hans.

"Send word to them that I'm not their problem anymore!" Hans replied, obviously offended and a little put out. "And the triplets did fine!"

"Thank them for their concern but tell them he has it under control," Elsa interpreted, rolling her eyes affectionately.

"No, no, this time I mean it. Tell them I'm not their problem and to go jump off the cliffs," Hans said.

"Come here, you," Elsa said, turning him around and kissing him again. He started, shackled hands going to her waist, then relaxed into it. She drew back and looked to the messenger. "You have your orders. Go on." Her expression became serious. "On second thought, bring the message to Kai and tell him to explain what's been happening in detail." Kai knew what was going on, what had happened to the family of the would-be assassin and what the would-be assassin had done for Hans as well. Plus, alerting Moren to the situation in Arendelle might prove beneficial. Flushing, the messenger quickly left. Elsa smirked and turned attention back to Hans, kissing him again. "I don't suppose you have enough range of motion to get more intimate than kisses?" she teased.

"Why are you tormenting me?!" Hans demanded, frowning at her with eyes narrowed. She giggled and left, waving at him and making him damn these shackles to Hades and back. Not that it would be impossible to try something like that even chained, but gods no! Just no! No! No to infinity! He grimaced at the idea of it and glared at the chains even harder like a glare could melt them. Which it probably could if he had a mind to do it, but he was kind of restraining himself right now. Lying in wait. Despite currently regretting it.

Frozen

Elsa went up to the throne room. She'd managed to disguise how upset she was by everything thus far, but now that no one was around to see, she let it show and looked around, rubbing her arms self-consciously. She should have disposed of the Council long ago, she noted to herself. Purged it and brought in a new one… She'd just wanted to keep as much of her father's legacy alive as she could, and they'd been part of it and… No… They'd stopped being her father's after he'd died. All her parent had worked to build them into was gone, now. There was nothing of her papa left in them. The question was how to go about dealing with the matter. Odds were there'd been whispers as to how King Hans wished them disposed of so that _he_ could have full control over the Queen and whatnot. At least if the malicious rumors kept to pattern. They'd say she didn't know what she was doing, or that Hans was just manipulating her, and she was more than a little infuriated at it. Gods she could just… Ugh! As if she was that weak and malleable! Gods, what was she going to do? Whatever it was, it had to be done fast. She was running a race and was currently losing it badly. Wait… Her eyes lit up in realization. If she could take away the fuels of their fires... At least it would be a starting point!

Quickly she hurried towards where crier was. "I need you to send word to the people to gather. The Queen has some announcements to make," she said to the man.

"My Lady?" the crier asked.

"Go. Now. There's no time to lose," Elsa urged. Confused, the crier nonetheless hurried to obey the order. Elsa smiled to herself, looking toward the room where the Council usually met. Let's see them wiggle out of _this_. She might not discredit them, but at least she'd make the people start to seriously doubt.

"Elsa!" a voice called. Elsa started, turning quickly. Hurrying into the room was Anna and Kristoff with the triplets. On seeing them, Elsa's eyes widened and she gasped. Was that… was that a baby her sister held in her arms?! Oh no… She looked quickly up at them. Her gaze alone was enough to command an explanation of what had happened. Immediately they told her everything. If nothing else, Elsa realized as they spoke, at least this would undermine the Council's influence as much as possible. But now, she realized, she had a big problem on her hands. Namely this. After her announcement to the people… Oh gods, what was she going to do? It seemed the problems just kept coming and coming.

Frozen

She stood in front of the people. She could all but sense the rage of the Council. So could others, apparently, as the guards had subtly put themselves between her and them. At her side stood Anna, cradling the tiny newborn close. The people looked awed at the sight and were paying attention like never before. "There seems to be some confusion among you who will inherit the throne should something happen to me," Elsa said. The way the people started shifting uneasily and looking slightly guilty told her the rumors as to the motive behind the death of Anna's baby had been spreading like a wildfire. "Let it be known hereafter that any child born to _me_ will be heir to the throne without question. I love my sister dearly, but any offspring she may have will not have a claim to the throne unless I otherwise die childless. That is my order and it will remain that way despite what rumors any of you have heard," she said. "That business out of the way, my sister did not lose her child because she was poisoned! It was an unfortunate accident. Are there questions as to my statement?"

"How do we know, my lady, that you are not lying for fear of your husband?" a woman boldly called out. One who had apparently swung to the side of the Council.

Elsa turned to Anna, nodding to her. Anna stepped forward. "Do you see the child in my arms?!" the Princess said. The people were silent. They all saw it plainly. "This child is an orphan. Her father was the man who attempted to kill the King. Her mother was an innocent who escaped being burned alive with the rest of the assassin's family. Do you know who beseeched us to find her before she could be murdered? It was the King! The assassin came to him, the night his family was massacred, and begged him to save his wife and child even though he knew he was doomed to die with the rest of his family! It was Hans who sent his brothers to find and save her, and them who brought me and my husband along. We arrived too late. The mother had been murdered! The baby had to be cut from her stomach to save it."

"The King could have directed murderers to where she lived to cover his tracks! Or his brothers may have even been the ones to hire them," a Council member viciously shot. "How else would they just happen to find the house moments before she screamed? They've played you as easily as their brother!"

"What would they gain from cutting the baby out, then?! As far as Kristoff and I knew, she was already dead inside her mother. It was them who said she was alive and cut her free!" Anna argued. She turned to the crowds. "There were three men who came from the forest, hearing the baby crying. We heard, from their conversation, that they were the ones hired to find and kill the pregnant woman. We only just managed to silence the baby in time, and despite seeing plainly that others had come in their absence, they did not come up to check if the newborn was dead. They didn't want to know and they didn't want to have a reason to kill her. If you men are out there, please, come forward. Tell your story. Let us know whether we're right or not, and whoever threatened or paid you will be dealt with severely before any harm can be done to you or your loved ones, be it the King or some other party. Whatever the way of it, you'll be given mercy for your honesty. I don't believe you're evil men. Not after what I heard," Anna said.

"But if you stay silent or lie, we'll find out and you'll rue the day!" Calcas called out, out of place but not caring. "My brothers and I _will_ hunt you. We saw the men as they rode away." Which was in part a lie, but _they_ didn't know that. "Rest assured, if we find our brother is guilty, we'll kill him ourselves. You know full well the animosity between the Princes of the Southern Isles."

No one stirred for a long time. Finally, though, a man climbed up a tree and looked towards them. "Queen Elsa, it was me and my party hired to find and kill the woman!" he called out.

The guards drew crossbows and rifles immediately. "Stand down!" Elsa shot. Quickly they obeyed, surprised at the firmness in her tone. Elsa turned to the man. "Who was it that hired you and why did you agree?"

"We obeyed for greed, my lady, and for that I am ashamed, but it is the truth… But we didn't know she was pregnant, at the time. We were told to kill everything that lived in that house. When the mother died, the child was supposed to die with her. When we heard the crying, we rode back to attempt to finish the job, but we couldn't do it. We didn't want to know what had happened to the infant," the man answered.

Elsa was inwardly glad for the trust her people had in her word. She doubted highly that if most other rulers had promised mercy to murderers, that they would have believed them. Of course, her sparing Hans probably showed her people just how willing she was to forgive those who wronged her. "Who hired you?" she asked again.

"It was a man of the Council, my lady!" the man answered, pointing accusingly towards the balcony. "They told us it was on the King's orders and produced a document, but something seemed wrong about it. I don't know what, my lady, just the wording... It wasn't right, somehow."

"That is proof of nothing," a Council member said. "If he was distracted or preoccupied, it would excuse inconsistencies in writing style."

"I have seen the way the King signs his name. I have a little cousin who very much admires the stories of the author Hans Christian Andersen. He assumed your husband, being named Hans as well, was the writer. The king claimed not to be, but the boy insisted and so the king signed his name to a story the child wanted him to sign, and told my nephew that the author was lucky to have such a devoted fan. He gave my nephew the author's contact information so that he could correspond with the real thing," the hunter stated.

"No signature is ever signed the same twice," another Council member stated.

"It was vastly different! More than could have been written in error!" the hunter insisted.

Uneasy and guarded murmurs went through the crowds, the people torn over what to believe and what not to believe. A good deal of wind had been taken out of the sails of the Councillors. It wasn't a resolution, but it was a step towards it. Elsa turned darkly to the Council, eyes narrowed. "I _will_ find out the truth of what you've done. You're time here is limited, mark my words," she darkly warned them. She turned to the people gesturing for them to be silent. "If I do indeed have such a dishonest and bloodthirsty Council beneath me, then rest assured they will be rooted out. If, on the other hand, it is my husband who's been playing me for a fool, then I'll finish what was started long ago and have him executed as is befitting a traitor." She needed to give the Council _some_ sort of satisfaction in this after all, just to play it safe. The Council knew they couldn't risk protesting her statement lest they give themselves away, and so they stayed quiet. She turned to said Council again. "Your disdain for Hans and for me, Councillors, has gone too far! You will have no sway in my court anymore until this has been figured out. Your advice won't be heeded, you will be little more than show. If I discover you're behind the chaos creeping through my otherwise peaceful and secure kingdom, I'll have you all imprisoned, tried, and you had better pray banished rather than executed for your crimes. It's time to make what was once my father's Council my own again, and if none of you will cooperate, then you're out." The people cheered, but when the triplets gave them a dark look for their flip-flopping, they fell silent ashamedly. "Bring the three hunters guilty of the woman's murder into the throne room!" Elsa ordered. She looked towards the man in the tree, who appeared more than a little afraid that he'd make a big mistake. "You don't need to be afraid," she said to him. "Not you or your conspirators. Not for yourselves and not for your families." Though to keep them all safe, she might have to get them out of Arendelle. Again, however deep the Council was into this plot was unknown to her. Her promises may mean nothing if they had other means of having their will carried out. Turning once more, she entered the palace while the Council glared after her murderously. She smirked to herself. They'd underestimated her in the worst way possible. Now they would pay. She would see her husband freed. That was her priority now...

ES

The paperwork that would ensure her husband's freedom was being dealt with. When it came through, she would go to him and have him released. For now, though, there was another issue to deal with… She didn't relish it. Elsa watched with Kristoff from the doorway to the nursery as Anna gently cooed to the baby girl, nursing it. Concern was in her eyes. Kristoff looked worried. "She seems very attached to it," Elsa remarked cautiously. She had to pick her words very, very carefully. If she didn't, she was afraid she would be risking losing her sister.

"Her. It's a her, Elsa," Kristoff said, frowning.

"And apparently you too," Elsa said, wincing slightly. Oh, this just got tougher.

Kristoff was quiet. "Where is this going?" he finally asked.

Elsa was silent, watching Anna. "Isn't this too soon?" she asked. "You've only just lost your baby…"

"Maia was her name," Kristoff cut off. "Use it."

Elsa inwardly groaned at how dangerously she was treading. If _Kristoff_ was taking this tone? Yeah, it was delicate. "You've only just lost little Maia Thumbelina, and now another babe is in the picture that you and Anna have… bonded with. It just… Kristoff, tell me this doesn't seem like a surrogate. Like a way to cope. Like a therapy baby. Like..."

"Like it isn't real? Like the attachment we feel to her is just us projecting our longing and pain. That our caring for her is just playing pretend and soon reality will ensue and we'll regret getting into this," Kristoff finished for her. Elsa was quiet.

"Look, I know this seems wrong and backwards, but you don't get it, Elsa, you don't!" Kristoff said. "We wanted this. This was the life we were supposed to have with Maia. That life can never be now and that picture perfect happily ever after is gone. At least it seemed it was… But then this…" He paused, turning to the baby. "Why is it wrong for us to want her? To want to protect her and care for her and get some semblance of a hope for a family back? She lost her parents, we lost our daughter, and now paths have crossed that have put her into our arms and… And why _can't_ we grieve together? You know, even animals that have just given birth or have just lost their young will sometimes take in babies of even other species who are orphaned! She needs someone to take care of her, we need someone to take care of, so why are you against it?"

Elsa was quiet, watching her sister. "I didn't say I was against it. I just don't want Anna hurt anymore, and I don't want that baby to be hurt. Are you even in an emotional state to take care of her properly? You and Anna?" Elsa asked.

"You don't know what we've been through. Don't even try to understand why we want this, because you'll never get it," Kristoff replied borderline bitingly before entering the nursery and going towards his wife. Elsa stood still, looking devastated and upset. Bowing her head, she closed her eyes tightly willing back tears and walked away. Maybe they were right. Was she really in the wrong here? She didn't even know anymore…

Frozen

Hans listened quietly on the window seat, leaning against the frame with arms folded, as Elsa sat next to him and explained all that had happened that day. He would have thought being free would mean a little more joyous of a reunion than this, but apparently there were some seriously heavy things weighing on his wife's mind. After hearing about Kristoff and Anna and the baby and her conversation with the Ice Harvester, he kind of got why. "Am I wrong, Hans?" she asked, looking out the window and rubbing an arm.

He was quiet. After a moment, he turned to look out it as well. He could see the window of the nursery where Anna stood, cradling the baby and singing gently to it, Kristoff near at hand. "Do you remember when I told you that the whole world was a series of miracles?" he asked.

"You said that we were just so used to them, we called them ordinary things," she replied, smiling slightly. It had been such a contrast from what he was then…

"Maybe this is one of those miracles that's just a bit more special than all the rest," he said. "A true miracle would have been me saving the father and his family, them saving the mother and her baby, but this is what we have. At least not everything that came out of this was painful. I don't think anyone is right or wrong, Nightingale, but I do believe that maybe this is a choice Kristoff and Anna need to make on their own despite what others think. Either it ends in pain, or it ends in happiness. That's on their heads, not yours, and either way they'll learn from it. I know you want what's best for Anna, but let Anna decide, this once, what's best for herself. She doesn't have a great track record, I know, but she's grown and matured since then. I think she can do this."

Elsa sniffed and looked at him, smiling sadly. "Maybe you're right," she said. She looked back to see Kristoff softly kissing the baby's head. Feeling like she was intruding, she drew the curtains and turned to him. "Do you think it's over? With the Council?"

"They may be under control again, more or less, but they've had years and years to spread their influence," Hans said. "The main threat has been reigned in, but that doesn't mean that what was left behind isn't sprouting. I choose to trust, though, that everything will be okay. At least for a while."

"And then what?" she asked.

He smiled ruefully in a way that told her he was seeing far further ahead than she was, and that what he was seeing wasn't good. "Don't worry about it, Elsa," he said.

"Don't do this to me. Please," she pled.

He sighed, bowing his head, then looked up again. "On the Isles, they would have been imprisoned and executed without question, and we would have thought that far safer than what's happening now, but maybe some good will come of it. If you choose to banish them rather than execute them, which I know you will, then maybe some of them will be grateful they were spared, in the end, and remember your father and change for the better and be assets rather than detriments."

"Like you became," she said.

"I wouldn't go that far," he said, smiling sadly. His smile fell to a more serious look. "But there are those of them who, if banished, will flee to lands that are no fans of Arendelle's or her allies, and there they may be able to build up a force against us that can stand."

"Will I cause a war if I let them live, Writer of Fairy Tales?" she questioned.

He took her hands in his, bringing them to his lips and pressing his lips to them, letting them linger. After a time, he looked back up. "Don't be afraid, Snow Queen," he said. "The Chameleon Prince reigns at your side. You know how well I can blend in. How well I can reflect. Whatever comes against us, we'll face and overcome it together."

"I don't want anymore fighting," she said.

"The world is changing. There's no room, anymore, for offshoot kingdoms like the Southern Isles or Avalor or Arendelle or Corona. It'll only be a matter of time until we're gone or assimilated… But it won't happen now, or for a very long time, and so don't look to then, my love. Look to now and us," Hans said. "We're here, we're safe for a little while at least, so let's make the best of it." She smiled softly, drawing him near and extending her neck. Softly he cupped it with his hand and began to kiss it softly. She grinned at the feel of his lips against her throat. He laid her gently back, drawing a hand through her hair and starting to undo her dress, then his own clothing. Gently he traced his hand down her body, resting it on her hip lightly. She held him close to her chest and he began to kiss her there. She gave a gasp as he moved against her body in self-explanatory ways and tightened her grip on him, leaning her head back and giving a soft moan. This night was theirs…

Frozen

Hans watched quietly as Kristoff and Anna fawned over the newborn infant. He'd never seen Kristoff and Anna so tender before… He shifted slightly, jaw twitching. He wasn't jealous, he told himself. He wasn't wishing it was him, no. He couldn't have one anyway. Not with Carabis lying in wait. Plus, given his history with fathers, he wouldn't be a good one anyway. He could live vicariously through his sister-in-law and friend. The newborn lay on Kristoff's chest, passed out. Softly Kristoff kissed her as Anna fawned over how adorable it was. He grimaced and turned, walking away from the nursery.

"You seem distracted, Hans," Kai remarked.

"Have they named the baby yet?" Hans asked.

"They'll probably announce it tonight at dinner, my Lord," Gerda replied. For some reason, she, Kai, and Jekyll were invited as well as the triplets, the Duke, and his men. She wouldn't question it, of course, it just seemed odd.

"That isn't what's bothering you, Hans," Kai said, frowning at the young King.

"Hey, where are the triplets?" Hans asked, changing the subject. Kai and Gerda stared incredulously at him before Kai sighed and pointed in the general direction of where he'd last seen the King's brothers. Quickly Hans hurried off.

"What's wrong with him?" Gerda asked.

"I think he's a little jealous is all, love," Kai replied.

"Jealous?" Gerda asked.

"I get the feeling he has a very powerful parenting instinct he refuses to let out," Kai stated.

"Well he won't have much choice in the matter, will he? If Elsa becomes pregnant, he's a father," Gerda replied.

"'If' is the key word, dear Gerda," Kai answered. "I think the poor young man is also afraid."

"Well perhaps he should stop being so hard on himself or so worried about the hobgoblin," Gerda said, shaking her head with a frown.

Kai chuckled. "He can't help that, darling," he said. Gerda sighed hopelessly.

Frozen

"Tell us what the baby's name will be Anna, please," Coth pled to Anna, pestering her over dinner. Elsa grinned in excitement and glanced over at Hans. Her smile fell to a concerned frown. He wasn't looking and seemed distracted. Worried, she reached over, covering his hand. He glanced at it then smiled at her, sitting up straight and paying attention again.

"Oh, she's so sweet," Calcas gushed over the child. Anna had wasted no time dressing the baby up in little dresses and bows and generally pampering the newborn who she was positioning to suckle at her breast now. Gerda covered her mistress as Anna was undoing her dress.

"Gerda sit down," Anna said, smiling fondly at the old woman who'd been fussing nonstop over the baby.

"We considered Maia, at first. But that just seemed disrespectful to the memory of our daughter," Kristoff said, smiling solemnly before turning to the baby again and peeking under Anna's nursing blanket. "So…"

"We named her after a woman who holds a very special place in both Elsa and I's hearts," Anna cut off, grinning.

"Your mother, dear?" Gerda asked.

"No, not mother. I wanted mother's name to remain her own. I don't want to be reminded of two deaths every time I look at my daughter," Anna answered. "I want her to be a symbol of life and nurturing… So I named her after you, Gerda."

Gerda gasped, nearly dropping the tea she was carrying. Jekyll quickly caught it as Gerda caught the chair. "My lady!" she gasped, flustered and fanning herself. Had she heard that? Truly?! "You… After _me_? What have I done to deserve such an honor, Anna?!"

"You've been you, Gerda. Always steadfast and loyal and taking care of us and fretting over us. You're like the grandmother we never had. We love you very much, Elsa and I," Anna replied, grinning up at her.

"Why I… Oh darling!" Gerda said with a laugh, hugging Anna tightly. "Kai, Kai, they named her after me!" she said, going to him and hugging him tightly. Kai laughed lovingly, holding her close and nuzzling her lightly.

"Gerda. A lovely name for a beautiful little girl," the Duke of Weselton said, gently and lovingly smiling at Anna. She beamed back at him. He'd been fussing over this baby almost as much as _she_ had. She could swear the old man had held little Gerda more often than her.

"It's a perfect name, Anna," Elsa said.

"Yeah. It is… Uh, I have… things I need to do," Hans said quietly. He rose, turning and leaving without waiting for anyone to protest. They watched after him, confused. The triplets exchanged looks, grimacing, then turned to the others.

"Um, we'll see what he needs help with and get him back as soon as possible," Connyn said, rising. Quickly they followed their brother. Elsa sat quietly, head hung slightly. She got the sinking feeling it had to do with the baby. The others brushed Hans's behavior off, soon enough—say for Kai and her that was—and were soon all back to fawning over baby Gerda.

Frozen

"Why did you run off, Hans?" Calcas asked their brother as he, Connyn, and Coth approached him from behind.

"Just… too much innocence," he answered.

"Innocence, huh? That's your excuse?" Coth asked.

"What right do we have to look on innocence like that?" Hans asked them, turning around.

"None, probably, but that didn't stop our brothers from having children," Connyn answered. "Now quit playing dumb."

"I just… I wanted to leave, okay?" Hans, turning away from them again.

"You see kids in your future, Hans?" Calcas asked. Hans was silent. "Well, that answers our questions," Calcas continued. They didn't need to press for answers as to why Hans had left, anymore.

"Do you see a future at all?" Coth asked in a slightly more solemn and serious tone.

"I don't know," Hans answered. "Carabis, rebellious Councillors, Mor'du… The Wicked Prince…"

"Yourself," Connyn stated flatly. Hans was quiet. "You don't think a man like you deserves a child… You know, neither did Caleb. Or Jürgen. Or Lars. Or Rudi. Didn't stop _them_."

Hans was quiet. "I can't… I can't take the risk they did," he finally said. "They probably shouldn't have taken the risk either. Now look at them. Six of nine children of Caleb's dead. All of Lars's dead, and his wife. Jürgen _nearly_ lost them all, Rhun lost everything but one daughter… Yeah. Children are a real feasible part of our futures. Hah! As long as the wicked troll's around… I don't even know if I'd want one anyway…"

"Yes you would," Coth said, shaking his head.

"I shouldn't have one!" Hans shot. "I probably can't anyway. Plus, would it even ever be truly safe for it? I just…"

"Are scared?" Calcas offered.

Hans was silent. "Yeah," he finally answered. "Oh thank god Elsa isn't pregnant," he said, massaging his forehead with two fingers.

"You know, when a man and a woman love each other very much…" Connyn began. Hans scowled darkly at him. "Hey, that's what happens. Get used to it," he said, shrugging. "Neither of you can prevent a baby from happening, especially not if you keep on going like you do, so might as well just accept the inevitable."

"Just leave me alone," Hans said, turning away from them.

"Little brother, when the time comes, you'll make an amazing dad," Coth said. Hans was quiet, pausing only briefly before entering the palace again with a scoff. The triplets exchanged concerned looks before following.

Frozen

Hans walked through the corridors, lost in thought. He'd finally shaken his siblings, so he had a moment to himself. "There you are," he heard Elsa say. Or not.

He winced before turning, pretending he wasn't concerned about anything. "You were searching for me?" he asked.

"Why did you leave like that?" she questioned.

"I'm sorry, Elsa, just some diplomatic things I needed to solidify," he answered. "A while back I, we, received a letter from the Sultan of a Middle Eastern land who seems very interested in seeing what Arendelle has to offer. I just wanted to clear up a few things with him. Won't be a necessarily pleasant political meeting, given the vastly different cultures, but if we pull it off, we may gain a very rich ally."

"Okay?" she more questioned than replied, looking doubtful but nonetheless accepting the statement.

"S-so, what did you need?" Hans asked.

"Well, there's a few things, actually," Elsa answered. "For one, I've been invited to go to Avalor for a week or two and discuss political ties, finalize some things and make amendments to others and such. You'll be ruling alone again. This time I hope with a better outcome."

"Really? So soon after you left for Corona? Um… Wow? Great, I guess," he said, obviously a little uneasy about this. Corona had been pleasure, yeah, and Avalor would be business, but still. He felt a bit uncomfortable given everything that had nearly happened over _this_ week. To say nothing of how close he'd come to falling to Southern Isles methods… "When will you be back?" he questioned. "The Sultan is scheduled to come before this month is out."

"I should return just in time, then," Elsa answered. She hesitated. "There's… something else too."

"What is it?" he asked.

"I… I received a letter from Edvard," she said. He got the feeling that wasn't what she'd originally been about to say, but this was much more important.

"Oh?" he asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow. "And what exactly does Mr. Collin want?"

"His sister has been pestering him to bring them here for a visit," Elsa said, frowning slightly on remembering Hans's stories about this 'Louise's' little flirting games. "They might come while I'm away. What is she? Twenty something? Younger than me? Older?"

"Ooh, you're jealous," Hans said, smirking. "And a bit possessive, Snow Queen, now that will never do," he added teasingly. "I'd say your age, maybe Anna's. Maybe younger. You know, if I invite Franz here, it may ensure she pays no attention to me at all."

"Do it," she said flatly.

He laughed. "I doubt she'll pay me much attention anyway. She seems quite smitten with Dr. Jekyll," he said.

"Dr. Jekyll? I never did ask. How old is he?" Elsa questioned.

"I'm not sure. Forties, fifties. Looks good for his age, I'm not ashamed to say," Hans admitted.

"Should I be on the lookout?" she teased.

"Bite your tongue," he replied, grinning at her. "He has at least two decades on… Well, not on me, but on Anna, probably." He was probably Caleb's age. Maybe a bit older. "Of course, that's not all that long in the grand scheme of things." Still old enough to on occasion call him boy or child to get under his skin, Hans bitterly noted to himself, but whatever. "Whatever the matter of it, it should be an interesting couple of weeks with them around as well as my brother and Jekyll."

"Plus, if something goes wrong you'll have four brothers backing you up," Elsa said, frowning at him concernedly.

"It'll be fine, Nightingale. My reputation seems to be on a bit more stable of ground, at least, after the Council was called out, so that's a bonus," he said. The triplets might be gone by the time Franz got here, he noted. Perhaps he should get Kelin-Sel and Iscawin to come with Franz. Make extra sure Louise would be occupied. No, maybe not. He'd feel it out. "I'll deliver the news of their visit to Jekyll when I get the chance. When… when are you going?"

"In a couple of days," she answered. "I'll sail with the Duke of Weselton, Anna, and Kristoff. They've all been invited to Avalor as well. I believe Duke Alexander has been too."

"Carl? Give him my warmest regards," Hans said. "And tell him to keep his hands to himself."

"I will," Elsa agreed with a giggle. "Take care of yourself, Hans."

"And you, Snow Queen," he answered. "But let's save this for the actual goodbyes. For the next two days, at least, we have each other's company… I love you." She grinned at him, leaning against him as he held her. Her smile fell uneasily, eyes flickering to the side. Oh, what was she going to do about…? To say nothing of the uncertain fates of the Council members. She got the sinking feeling things were going to be very delicate for a while, but they would weather it. She hoped…

(A/N: And end of story. To be followed soon by another whose title I haven't determined yet, but that I've started work on. It should be another more laid back one, for the most part, but likely with some spying and information gathering on the parts of Hans, Elsa, and their allies, so I'm excited about seeing where it goes. Thank you again for the support and reviews. Hope you enjoyed.)


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